Former Orlando Pirates midfielder Fortune Makaringe has made a Kaizer Chiefs revelation, opening up on how he signed for the Buccaneers despite interest from the Glamour Boys during his 2019 departure from Maritzburg United.
The move to Mayfair proved to be a masterstroke for Makaringe, who secured four major trophies during a five-year stint that coincided with a persistent silverware drought for Chiefs.
Joining from Maritzburg United in July 2019, Makaringe became a mainstay for the Buccaneers, racking up over 145 appearances, contributing 10 goals and nine assists. While initially signed as a creative offensive midfielder, his tactical versatility was fully realised under Jose Riveiro, who repurposed him as a modern right-back.
Makaringe’s tenure was marked by consistent success on the podium. His trophy haul includes a hat-trick of MTN8 titles [2020, 2022, 2023] and the 2023 Nedbank Cup, alongside a runners-up medal in the 2021/22 CAF Confederation Cup.
Reflecting on his journey before joining Cape Town City FC in 2024, Makaringe described his time at Pirates as the “best years” of his career, fulfilling a lifelong dream of representing his childhood club.
FORTUNE MAKARINGE’S FATHER PLAYED A ROLE IN THE ORLANDO PIRATES MOVE
When asked how he ultimately became a Buccaneer instead of joining Chiefs, he recalled: “A phone call just came in, I recognised the voice, it was one of Pirates’ well-respected representatives,” Makaringe said on the Michael Morton Talks Football show.
“He said he could not say much to me because I was still under the guidance of my parents. He said he knows I am old enough to make my own decisions, but he needed to speak to my parents first and then get back to me,” he added.
Makaringe continued: “Then came the second call, the following morning, he [the unnamed Bucs representative] just said I was now officially a Pirates footballer. Before the decision, my father said I needed to think back to when I was a kid. Which team I wanted to play for when I was young. What my dream was. And it was to play for Pirates. When I would cry when Pirates lost a match.
“The first team that came was actually Kaizer Chiefs. Coach Ernst Middendorp was there at the time. He had given me a lifeline at Maritzburg. Now he wanted me at Chiefs.
“But I could not make the decision. I was still contracted to Maritzburg. It had to be a club-to-club agreement. Maritzburg were taking me Pirates. I don’t know what happened between the talks between Chiefs and Maritzburg.”
By Siseko Gwegwe
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