Thamsanqa Gabuza has not appeared in Orlando Pirates’ last five games across all competitions and coach Milutin Sredojevic has had his say on the striker’s absence.
The former Bafana Bafana international has not featured for the Soweto giants since infamously walking off the pitch during a victory over Black Leopards in the Absa Premiership.
Despite Gabuza publicly apologising the next day, the former Golden Arrows man is yet to play for Pirates, intensifying speculation that he is set for an exit from the club.
☠ A message from Thamsanqa Gabuza
⚫⚪🔴⭐#OnceAlways pic.twitter.com/nLJEu3ThBI— Orlando Pirates FC (@orlandopirates) August 29, 2018
Pirates’ coach, however, says that the door is open for Gabuza to return to the matchday squad given that he performs in training.
‘Thamsanqa Gabuza … is working very hard to come back. From the red card he was missing the two matches. He’s in contention,’ he told kickoff.
‘It is purely on him to when he’ll satisfy the criteria and standard that we ask from the players in order to come back.
‘We believe in him. We have already mentioned we cannot go back to what has happened.
‘He’s one of the regular members of the squad. He’s an extremely positive personality out of the field of play, in the dressing room. And as such, he’s working very hard with the finishing coach [Stephane Adam] regarding that.
‘The only thing is that he’s very good for the atmosphere, this is a written document. He works very hard, this is a signed document. Now stamp a bit better the conversion ratio and he’ll come back and give us his best possible self,’ he concluded.
