Orlando Pirates have announced the signing of French goalkeeper Joris Delle, who joins the Buccaneers on a three-year deal.

The announcement came just hours after the club announced the arrival of Jyri Nieminen as the club’s new goalkeeper coach.

The 29-year-old keeper joins Pirates on a free transfer after leaving Dutch club Feyenoord after his one-year deal with the club expired.

Delle admitted his delight at joining the Soweto giants and is targeting instant success.

‘I am glad to join this prestigious football club called Orlando Pirates and starting a new adventure in South Africa,’ the keeper told the club’s official website.

‘Happy to be part of an ambitious club with amazing fans who will accompany us on the road of success. I think that I will be the first French player to play for the Pirates, I would like also be the first to win titles there. Let’s go for it, it starts by a good pre-season!’

Delle began his career with with French outfit FC Metz in 2007, then moved to Nice after four seasons where he competed with former Arsenal keeper David Ospina for the number one jersey under then manager Claude Puel.

The keeper then spent time on loan in Belgium with Cercle Brugge and RC Lens before leaving France permanently in 2016 when he signed for NEC Nijmegen in 2016, where he spent two seasons before the club was relegated and he signed for Feyenoord on a one-year deal.

Delle was also capped at every age-group level for France and was part of France’s U21 squad of 2012 that boasted the likes of Antoine Griezmann, Raphael Varane and Alexandre Lacazette.