Fortune Makaringe took a veiled swipe at Orlando Pirates supporters, insinuating that they are hypocrites for booing Terrence Dzvukamanja during the 2022/23 PSL season.
The attacking midfielder, in a subtle way, suggested that the Soweto giants don’t have supporters; individuals who advocate, love the club unconditionally and are completely behind the team.
Instead, Fortunate Makaringe believes Pirates have fans, who just like the team and can be aggressive and unreasonable.
As one would reasonably expect, Makaringe is sticking up for his teammate Dzvukamanja after the Zimbabwean survived the onslaught of the Pirates boo boys in the stands in the just-ended season.
“I remember there was a game we played at Orlando Stadium. While playing the game, Kermit Erasmus got injured. Dzvuka stood up to warm up, and fans started booing him,” said Makaringe in Pirates’ three-part documentary.
“That hurt me. I was sitting in the player’s lounge. I asked myself ‘What kind of people do we have here?’ ‘How can you boo one of your own?’
FORTUNE MAKARINGE DISAPPOINTED BY ACTIONS OF PIRATES SUPPORTERS
Dzvukamanja was heavily booed and vilified by his own fans at the Buccaneers most noticeably between December 2022 and January 2023.
As a result of the jeers, a series of injuries and lack of game time earlier in the season, the 29-year-old was on the brink of leaving Orlando Pirates in the January transfer window.
The forward claimed he received death threats in December from unknown people who wanted him to leave Pirates. In addition, Dzvukamanja also admitted that he was depressed and nearly turned to alcohol to drown his sorrows.
However, Dzvukamanja silenced his naysayers when he was afforded the opportunity to prove his worth in the second half of the season. At the time, Pirates were firing blanks in front of goal and brought in a strikers specialist in Scott Chickelday for a brief spell.
The former Bidvest Wits star turned his season around to become one of coach Jose Riveiro’s trusted soldiers. He transformed into a match-winner scoring crucial goals. Many will remember him for netting a late goal to gift Pirates the 2023 Nedbank Cup title.
Terrence Dzvukamanja praised for HIS STRONG mentality
Overall, Dzvukamanja, who was a peripheral player before Riveiro’s arrival, ended the 2022/23 on a high. He scored eight goals and provided two assists in 19 games across all competitions.
Makaringe praised Terrence Dzvukamanja’s strong mentality as the striker managed to ignore the noise.
The midfielder recalls vividly how Dzvukamanga suffered the wrath of the frustrated Orlando Pirates fans. This was at Orlando Stadium in a DStv Premiership game against Golden Arrows in January.
As the game threatened to end in a 1-1 draw, Dzvukamanja scored in stoppage time to make it 2-1 before Vincent Pule scored the third goal for Pirates.
“When he [Dzvukamanja] got up, he was booed. He went back to sit down. [Siyabonga] Mpontshane also stood up,” remembers Fortunate Makaringe.
“When they were both up, fans started booing again. But because of Mpontsane’s experience; he understands the environment and our supporters. When they started booing him, he started clapping and it went silent.
“What hurts me the most was that after Dzvuka scored, the same people who were booing him, are the same people who celebrated his goal.
“I was sitting next to Messi [Tebogo Tlolane]. I told him, ‘If I was Dzvuka, and I scored, I don’t know how I’d react. I’d be super emotional’. It is clear that we don’t have supporters, we have fans,” concluded the ex-Maritzburg United attacker.
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