Patrick Maswanganyi has said he left Orlando Pirates early in the season to protect his mental health and his family. The midfielder spoke to the South African Football Journalists Association (Safja) about his move to Bahrain.
He said harsh comments, mostly on social media, were hurting the people closest to him. Some family members even asked him to stop playing football.
“Everyone knows that I was under a lot of pressure, not really pressure for me, but my family was suffering from the comments that I was getting from the media,” Maswanganyi told Safja.
The player said he was looking for peace that he could not find while living in South Africa. That search, he said, is why he chose to move abroad.
“I needed to be in a space where I could feel like myself again and also to try to be at peace because I was looking for peace in a way when I was in South Africa I couldn’t have. I needed peace, so that’s why I went there,” he said.
Maswanganyi said he turned down the idea of quitting the game. He said he understood the criticism as part of life for a professional player.
“They would see those things, and they wanted me to quit football, but for me it was something I would understand because I’m a professional player, and these things happen,” he said.
He added that his family took it much harder. “But for them, it was really tough, and I also had to make sure that my family was well-protected from those things. I felt that if I were to move far away from the country, things would get better in terms of their health,” he said.
The move was also about his own state of mind. “And also, for myself, because I had to stop being in a space where I had a lot of thoughts about football, whether I’m good or bad,” he said.
Maswanganyi had started the season well at Pirates. According to IOL, he played four games and had one goal and one assist across all competitions.
Many expected him to play a big part for the Buccaneers after several senior players left. One of them was Relebohile Mofokeng.
His switch to Bahrain-based Al-Khaldiya SC surprised many people in South African football. Pirates fans had grown close to him and often chanted “Weh Tito” when he had the ball.
Maswanganyi has made a good start in Bahrain. Al-Khaldiya SC are fifth in the league, only two points behind leaders Al-Shabab.
Source: this article is based on reporting by IOL Sport. Image: IOL Sport. Written with the help of AI and published by the Tzaneen Voice Sports desk. See our Editorial Standards.
Tiyani Mathebula writes about sport for Tzaneen Voice. Tiyani covers Bafana Bafana, the Springboks, the Proteas and the PSL, along with athletics, tennis and local club sport. Match reports and previews focus on results, team news, fixtures and what each game means for South African teams and fans.