Orlando Pirates midfielder Thalente Mbatha has broken his silence following shocking allegations that he arrived at the club’s training grounds while intoxicated.
Allegations emerged on social media on Monday night, claiming that the Bafana Bafana international was unable to participate in daily training because he arrived at Rand Stadium, where Pirates train, under the influence of alcohol.
The talented midfielder missed the last two matches for Pirates against Mamelodi Sundowns and Baroka FC after the club announced that he sustained an injury during a Betway Premiership clash against Sekhukhune United two weeks ago.
Prior to the Baroka game, the Soweto giants indicated that Mbatha had recovered from his injury and was available for selection; however, he did not even make the matchday squad.
Mbatha has established himself as one of the key players at Pirates after signing a permanent deal from SuperSport United in July 2024.
The central midfielder initially arrived at The Buccaneers on loan from SuperSport in the second round of last season before the move was made permanent.
In the current campaign, Mbatha featured in 24 appearances across all competitions. He has four goals under his name and one assist.
His impressive performances at the Soweto giants has earned him a regular place in the Bafana Bafana squad in the past few months.
PIRATES STAR MBATHA SPEAKS OUT AFTER DRUNKEN TRAINING ACCUSATIONS
Addressing the allegations levelled against him, the 24-year-old went live on Instagram to rubbish the social media reports.
“They said I’m not training, you listen to everything, and I just came back from training. People can say whatever about me, but I’m coming from training. You guys will see me tomorrow [against Golden Arrows],” Mbatha said while in high spirits, playing music in his car on Tuesday.
“I guess the person who said this knows better; maybe he’s the one who hired me, or he owns the club. You see when you’re doing well, people will always want to do things to bring you down.
“What I say, guys is that I’m from training, and in the past matches, I was injured; even the team did say that I was injured. I’m fit for tomorrow; if they put me in the team, then I’m playing.”
Pirates will face Golden Arrows in the Betway Premiership at Mpumalanga Stadium as they’re looking to close the gap on log-leaders Mamelodi Sundowns. The match will kick off at 19:30.
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