Five Orlando Pirates players who desperately need a move away from the club in January

Shandu’s early Pirates career promised so much. His energy, overlapping runs and relentless work rate made him a key figure under previous systems. But as the tactical approach evolved, with inverted fullbacks, hybrid midfield roles and more possession-based structures, his natural strengths have been sidelined.

This season, he’s struggled for minutes and clarity. He’s too experienced to be a fringe option, yet no longer central to the club’s plans. The competition at right-back and right wing-back has intensified, and Shandu has slipped into a role that feels more like emergency cover than genuine rotation.

At 30, he needs a team that values his directness and athleticism. Pirates’ current setup doesn’t maximise what he brings, and staying risks wasting the prime years of his career. A fresh environment could reignite the version of Shandu that once looked indispensable. 

Xoki’s season has been completely derailed by circumstances far beyond football. Unlike previous campaigns where he was generally available and reliable, this term has been defined by setbacks, most notably the road accident that involved several Pirates staff members, including coach Ouaddou. The incident has kept him out for an extended period and disrupted any chance of building rhythm or competing for his place. 

Before this season, injuries were never a defining part of his story at Pirates. He was steady, consistent and trusted whenever called upon. But the combination of the accident and subsequent niggles has pushed him down the pecking order at a time when the club’s defensive depth is stronger than ever, with the likes of Lebone Seema, Thabiso Sesane and Nkosinathi Sibisi. With the departure of Mbekezeli Mbokazi, it could be a lifeline for Xoki.

However, Xoki does need a club willing to give him uninterrupted minutes and a stable role. Staying at Pirates risks another campaign of stop-start football. 

Ndah’s decline at Pirates has been one of the most dramatic in recent memory and injuries have played a massive part in it. He has struggled to stay fit long enough to rebuild confidence or rhythm. Each return from injury has been followed by another setback, leaving him trapped in a cycle that has eroded both form and belief. 

The high-profile mistakes that followed those layoffs only intensified the scrutiny, making every appearance feel like a test he couldn’t afford to fail. It’s clear the talent remains, his composure, his reading of the game, his ability to play out from the back, but the environment around him has become heavy, and the pressure suffocating.

At this stage, Ndah needs a clean slate more than anything else.   

Radiopane’s situation is one of the most frustrating at the club. Once hailed as one of Pirates’ brightest academy graduates, his progress has been derailed by injuries, timing and the sheer depth of current attacking options ahead of him. He’s barely had a chance to show what he can do at senior level. 

Every season begins with hope that this will be his breakthrough, and every season ends with the same story: limited minutes, long spells recovering fitness, and the sense that he’s drifting further away from the first team. For a young attacker, nothing is more damaging than stagnation.

Radiopane needs regular football, not sporadic appearances or pressure-filled cameos. A loan or permanent move within the PSL could give him the platform to rebuild confidence and prove that the hype around him was justified. Staying at Pirates risks another year lost.

Mabasa has been in and out of the Pirates setup for years and the cycle has become painfully predictable: a short burst of form, followed by long spells on the bench, followed by another loan. For a striker who thrives on rhythm and confidence, this stop-start existence has completely stalled his development.

Despite flashes of the penalty-box instinct that once made him look like Pirates’ long-term No. 9, he’s never been trusted consistently enough to build momentum. The club’s constant tactical tweaks and the arrival of new forwards have pushed him further down the pecking order, leaving him with little more than cameo appearances and pressure-filled minutes.

At 29, he’s no longer a prospect; he’s a player who needs a club willing to make him a focal point.  

Staying at Pirates risks another season of stagnation. A move would give him the chance to rebuild his identity as a goalscorer.

Premier Soccer League page

Orlando Pirates page

Five Kaizer Chiefs players who need a move away