- Dzvukamanja's Pirates contract is nearing expiration
- There were rumours the club wanted to offload him
- He comments on the issue
WHAT HAPPENED? There were reports the Buccaneers wanted to release him during the mid-season transfer window after similar reports also went viral before the start of the season.
This came as the 29-year-old was struggling for game time and also for goals in the few matches he featured in. But coach Jose Roveiro decided against letting the striker leave and Dzvukamanja repaid the Spaniard's faithwith some inspiring performances from then on.
WHAT DZVUKAMANJA SAID: “I was just hearing the rumours... I was not aware that anything was happening because the club didn’t tell me or my agent that something was happening," said Dzvukamanja as per Sowetan Live.
AND WHAT MORE? It ended up being a memorable season for Dzvukamanja as Pirates won two trophies and finished as Premier Soccer League runners-up to champions Mamelodi Sundowns.
Dzvukamanja was the hero of the Nedbank Cup final after he grabbed the crucial goal that handed Pirates the trophy against Sekhukhune United last weekend.
“It’s a big achievement for me, I won’t lie because everyone wants to win," Dzvukamanja said.
"We won two cups in one season and finished in the second position. For me, it's a great achievement and I’m very happy about it. I don’t even know how to express how I feel, but I’m very happy to score that goal and make the Orlando Pirates family happy.”
THE BIGGER PICTURE: Having nearly been offloaded twice, the prospects of Dzvukamanja leaving Pirates in the upcoming transfer window now appear slim. He proved that, had he been released, it might have been a mistake by Riveiro.
The Zimbabwean established himself as a key member of the Pirates squad with some impressive performances since January. The second half of the term saw him scoring seven goals in 13 PSL games and along with his Nedbank Cup exploits.
Pirates have a huge pool of strikers, with a number of them rumoured to be on their way out but Dzvukamanja appears to be safe for now as his agent has opened talks over a new contract.
WHAT NEXT FOR DZVUKAMANJA? The Zimbabwean is on his off-season break and would be hoping to pick up where he left off when Pirates return for next term.
