Orlando Pirates’ top five earners
Orlando Pirates have trimmed their wage bill. Here are their biggest salaries including R6 million a year to the top earner.
Best earnings for the Buccaneers
According to Briefly, the club’s earner is taking home R500,000 a month, information corroborated by salarypedia.co.za. Here goes, with all figures mentioned as monthly salaries:
- 1. Deon Hotto: R500,000
- 2. Evidence Makgopa: R200,000
- 3. Innocent Maela: R150,000
- =3. Zakhele Lepasa: R150,000
- =3. Goodman Mosele: R150,000
For context, key central defender Olisa Ndah is collecting just R107,000 a month. Miguel Timm takes home R120,000. Would you say that the Pirates wage bill is distorted or lopsided?
Is Hotto heading out?
Hotto, a star for Namibia at Afcon 2023, has been a rock-solid operator down the left-hand side of the Pirates team. Equally adept in defence or midfield, he’s a manager’s dream. At 33, however, his contract expires in June and is unlikely to be extended. The vastly experienced star has 77 caps for his country. He’s also made 23 appearances in the Betway Premiership this season, not missing a single game, scoring a goal and supplying five assists. To say he’ll be difficult to replace is a gross understatement.
If he leaves, he’ll certainly do so with the goodwill of fans, teammates and technical staff alike.
Pirates’ Bafana contingent
Thalente Mbatha missed recent clashes with Congo but was back in the mix against South Sudan. Sipho Chaine is a strong backup goalkeeping option although he started against South Sudan. Talented 24-year-old operator Thabiso Sesane is enjoying a storming start to the season in the centre of defence for the Buccaneers and is now a viable option for his country too. Teenager Relebohile Mofokeng made a cameo against South Sudan and looks set to be a big player for Bafana in the future, while there’s also the option of talented left-footed Patrick Maswanganyi. Central defender Nkosinathi Sibisi is back in the mix too. New signing Deano van Rooyen will be a candidate for the right-back slot for Bafana when he returns to fitness. Evidence Makgopa has also returned after a short period in the wilderness.
Who should be Pirates’ top earner?
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