Lamontville Golden Arrows winger Tebogo Tlolane has responded to whether his switch from Chippa United to Orlando Pirates came too soon.
The 29-year-old joined the Buccaneers in 2019 after an impressive season at the Chilli Boys. However, the left-footer struggled somewhat for game time and was loaned out to Maritzburg United on three occasions. He spent the majority of his Buccaneers stint in the Midlands.
Tlolane amassed 47 appearances, scoring five goals and providing four assists for the Team of Choice. Meanwhile, he only played seven games for the Sea Robbers across all competitions.
He left the Soweto giants permanently at the end of the previous season and joined Abafana Bes’thende.
Speaking in an exclusive interview with FARPost, Tlolane says he has asked himself a couple of times whether a move to Pirates came at the right time.
While at times he feels, football-wise it may have been “not the right time”, he also believes it was meant to be.
TEBOGO TLOLANE ON HIS MOVE TO ORLANDO PIRATES
“I think I always ask this question to myself actually because as a person you need to self-introspect every time,” said Tlolane in an interview with FARPost.
“I’m like, was it the right time? And I’m like maybe football-wise it was not the right time.
“But I went back to that person that I am, the journey that I have with God that we can plan but God decides.
“I remember I had a chat with Clinton Larson who was my coach at the time. He wanted me to come back on loan at Chippa.
“I remember having a chat with him towards the end of that season when I moved to Pirates. And you know I told myself that it cannot be the right time if I don’t feel like that but it’s God’s time.
“So, I’m going to follow that time and as a man who believes in faith. I can plan but God decides.
“And as much as I can say footballing wise maybe another season at Chippa wasn’t gonna be too bad. But I felt like this is my plan and we don’t live [according to] our plans, we live on God’s plan.
‘GOD SAID IT WAS THE RIGHT TIME’
“So, quickly I put that [thought] aside and was like it was the right time because God said yes it was the right time to go. So, you’re going to go.
“Yes, there were talks before, after and during that, ‘maybe you should have stayed another season’. Yeah, maybe cause myself and Chippa Mpengesi would always be on a call together.
“[He’d say] come back’ and I would be like chairman if it happens no problem. But I’m still very grateful for the time I had at Chippa. I still have very good memory and experience.”
RELATED STORY: ‘That 10 minutes changed my life’: Tebogo Tlolane
