Former Orlando Pirates winger Dikgang Mabalane believes Deon Hotto is becoming increasingly influential for the Sea Robbers.
Mabalane was commenting in his capacity as a SuperSport TV analyst on Saturday evening, following the Buccaneers' 2-1 win over Bloemfontein Celtic in the 2020 MTN8 final at the Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban.
Celtic had initially shocked Bucs by opening the scoring in the fourth minute through Siphelele Luthuli.
And while Thembinkosi Lorch, who came on as a 24th-minute substitute for Thabang Monare and was widely credited with changing the game, and also got the winner, Hotto played a crucial role as well.
It was his cool finish in the 32nd minute which got Bucs back on level terms.
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"He (Hotto) also goes inside and tries to get into the box and into the danger areas and this is how he will start scoring goals in a team like Pirates," Mabalane pointed out.
"He used to stick too much on the line, more like an old fashioned winger. But now he's learning and changing his approach to the game, I think it will give him that element where he will add goals into his game."
The Namibian international is in his first season with Pirates, having signed from Bidvest Wits. He has tallied two assists and one goal in four MTN8 matches and also contributed two assists in six league appearances for the Buccaneers.
Fellow analyst and South African national U17 girls team coach Simphiwe Dludlu says she has been impressed by Hotto’s running lines.
“You hardly catch him offside, because he stays in a position where he says to a defender, ‘you see me now, you see me no more’.
“And that’s an incredible skill because you always want to go on the inside of defenders – they touch you and it's a penalty.”
The 30-year-old Hotto has been playing in South Africa since 2014, having signed for Golden Arrows from African Stars in Namibia. He also represented Bloemfontein Celtic before joining Wits and then Pirates.
In 154 Premier Soccer League (PSL) matches he has scored 15 goals and added 37 assists. In 27 cup games in South Africa he has four goals and six assists.
