Orlando Pirates goalkeeper Wayne Sandilands has welcomed the acquisition of Brilliant Khuzwayo, saying that the former Kaizer Chiefs shot-stopper has improved the team.
The Soweto giants swooped in to sign Khuzwayo as a free agent last month as the club went about reshaping its squad for the new 2018/19 season.
Khuzwayo will provide competition to Sandlands, Siyabonga Mpontshane and Jackson Mabokgwane in the new season. However, Mabokgwane is said to be on the radar of Cape Town City.
“And it’s good to have good quality players around you. That could only bode well for the future,” he continued.
Sandilands, who is heading into his second campaign with the Buccaneers, scooped the Golden Glove accolade at the club's end of season players’ awards ceremony earlier this month having kept the most clean sheets last season.
Next Match
“It’s a matter of holding on to the positives. The award obviously says I was on the right path, but there are bumps and stuff that come your way,” Sandilands explained.
“As I said before, you are always going to have your ups and downs. But you have to be able to hold on to positives. Know who you are and continue to pursue the goals that you have set yourself,” he added.
“Yes, the injuries are obviously frustrating. It’s something you as a player have to put behind you. It’s a new season now. The past is gone. It’s history, now the task is to forge ahead,” he said.
Sandilands, who won two Premier Soccer League (PSL) titles with Mamelodi Sundowns, is looking to help Pirates end their four-year trophy drought.
“I know the hard work still lies ahead. But I think, for me right now, it’s just about being focused, continuing to work hard, to be hungry to add to the history of the club and to leave behind a legacy,” he added.
Pirates will open their 2018/19 PSL campaign against Highlands Park at the Orlando Stadium in Soweto on the 4th of August 2018.
