Baby’s Birth: Player missed Orlando Pirates match

Stellenbosch FC faced Orlando Pirates in the Betway Premiership without Fawaaz Basadien on Sunday.

WHY FAWAAZ BASADIEN MISSED ORLANDO PIRATES MATCH

According to coach Steve Barker, the 27-year-old Bafana Bafana left-back was absent against the Sea Robbers because his wife had given birth to their baby on Sunday morning in Cape Town.

“Fawaaz Basadien became a father for the first time in the morning, so congratulations to him, and hence it gave Omega another opportunity to play, and he took the play,” Barker told SuperSport TV.

“His wife was due during the week, and being a first-time father, he requested to stay at home to be with her in case she had the baby earlier in the week. 

“We granted him that – and then we know over the weekend it would probably happen, so we gave him some time off to be with his wife,” concluded Barker.

Despite Basadien’s absence, Stellies went on to beat Orlando Pirates 1-0 courtesy of a Devin Titus goal in the first half. Basadien’s 20-year-old replacement, Unathi Mdaka, was awarded the Man of the Match.

DEANO VAN ROOYEN TOLD STELLENBOSCH TO RELEASE HIM

Orlando Pirates managed to sign Deano Van Rooyen despite Stellies’ reluctance to release him. Find out how Van Rooyen made it happen.

With Thabiso Lebitso and Bandile Shandu injured for the Sea Robbers, Orlando Pirates went for Van Rooyen to cover and compete with Thabiso Monyane at right-back.

The 27-year-old Van Rooyen left Stellies after 161 matches in the top flight.

“They wanted to keep me, but I told them, let me follow my dream, I wanted something new in my career,” van Rooyen told iDiski Times.

“I have been all the years at Stellenbosch, I was there for eight years, just for me to make a switch and have a different environment, it will show the person I am, my character of my personality.

“I was talking to my family and players at Stellenbosch about what is best for me, they told me to go after my dreams, and I sat with my family to discuss the move to Orlando Pirates, they said they would be happy for me if I went, it’s what I wanted.

“I wanted to follow my dreams, but it was a difficult decision. You know they say players don’t survive here in the Jo’burg environment, everything is fast here, the lifestyle, everything, so for me it’s to behave on and off the field.

“I know why I came here, for me, it’s now to stay focused and just do my job here at Orlando Pirates, I know everyone says players [from Cape Town] come to Pirates and struggle, but I just need to do the right things, listen to the coaches and what they say,” Van Rooyen concluded.

WHAT HAVE YOU MADE OF DEANO VAN ROOYEN AT ORLANDO PIRATES SO FAR?

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