‘I don’t see pressure anymore’ - Tshegofatso Mabasa targets Orlando Pirates' all-time scoring record before the Africa Cup of Nations

Tshegofatso Mabasa scored fifteen goals in 48 games last season and as the new campaign beckons, the Orlando Pirates forward will be eager to improve his numbers upfront by contributing to as many goals as he possibly can for the team. 

However, the 28-year-old admits that he’s not fazed by the responsibility as it’s part and parcel of the job.

“I’m looking to have a very big season, and I think I’m 10 or 11 goals away, I want to achieve that record before AFCON starts,” Mabasa said when asked by iDiski Times if he has an eye on the all-time scoring record at the club.

“It is [possible], in August we already have five games, six with MTN8, so I don’t see why [I can’t break the record].

“I don’t see pressure anymore, it’s about speaking things into existence, speaking things into life. It’s how my mother has raised me, it’s about speaking it to life, and it will happen,” he concluded.

The 2023/24 Lesley Manyathela Golden Boot winner hit a rough patch last season, losing his starting spot under then-coach Jose Riveiro.

Meanwhile, Evidence Makgopa became a more regular fixture in the starting lineup.

Eager to leave his mark in Pirates’ history, Mabasa will be aiming to secure a spot in new coach Abdeslam Ouaddou’s matchday squad as the team kicks off the 2025-26 season.

The Sea Robbers host Polokwane City in the MTN8 opener at Orlando Stadium on Saturday, 2 August, at 15:00 SAST.