Alfred Ndengane, Orlando Pirates, October 2018Backpagepix

Alfred Ndengane reveals Orlando Pirates had long-term interest in his services

Orlando Pirates defender Alfred Ndengane says joining the Soweto giants from Bloemfontein Celtic is a dream come true.

The 31-year-old player parted ways with Phunya Sele Sele in October 2018 and subsequently secured a deal with the Buccaneers, but his transfer was only completed during the current January 2019 transfer window.

“I joined the club towards the end of last year and obviously since this was outside of the transfer window, I could not play immediately,” Ndengane told the club's official website.

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Ndengane started training with Pirates after leaving Celtic and he finally made his official debut for the club against Chippa United in a PSL match in midweek.

“Initially it was frustrating because it is every player’s dream to play. Nobody wants to sit on the sidelines for whatever reason, but it was also my reality. After eventually coming to terms with the reality of my situation, I decided to make use of the time to familiarise myself with my new surroundings," he continued.

“The support I received from my teammates, the coaches and even from management was pivotal and encouraged me to be more patient and wait my turn. My family has also been very supportive, without them I don’t think that I would have been able to deal with the situation of not playing," he added.

The defender-come-midfielder went on to reveal that Bucs were after his services for a long time and he is pleased to have finally joined the four-time PSL champions.

“The club has been interested in me for some time now – maybe two to three seasons now, but for whatever reason, the deal never happened. To be honest, I thought it would never happen. But look where I am now. I am here and I am pleased to be part of such a big institution," he disclosed.

"Joining a club like Orlando Pirates is a dream come true for me but more so for my wife, because she is a huge supporter of the club. The way she was excited you would think she was the one that signed for the club," he explained.

Ndengane is also pleased to have made his debut for the Buccaneers as they secured a 4-2 victory over the Chilli Boys at the Orlando Stadium.

“It was nice to play next to Happy [Jele]. This is someone that I’ve had many duels with during my time at Celtic - it was nice to be fighting on the same side for a change," he said.

“My debut was special for many reasons. For starters it was at Orlando Stadium - the home of South African football and it was also a game where we collected three points,” he concluded.

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