Monare confident Bucs will keep him

With his current contract expiring at the end of this month, Orlando Pirates midfield workhorse Thabang “Dash” Monare has disclosed that he’s confident the club will retain him as the negotiations are under way.

“We are still in talks with the club about my contract but I am positive I will be here next season, that’s what I can say for now,” Monare told Sowetan during Pirates’ visit at one of  their sponsors, Vodacom, headquarters in Midrand last week.

In June last year Pirates released a statement that read: “The club can confirm that contractual discussions with Monare have collapsed as the two parties could not agree on terms.”

However, the Sea Robbers made a U-turn and offered the 33-year-old a one-year extension that lapses at the end of this month.

Dash, as Monare is nicknamed, has insisted that he was always adamant that the club would retain him even after that statement, saying it was just a “misunderstanding”. Monare featured in 21 games across all competitions in the just-ended campaign, chipping in with a single goal in the process.

“I always knew that I was going to stay. I always knew where I stood with the management, the relevant people. There was never a doubt...it was more of a misunderstanding I think. I never panicked,” Monare reflected.

The lad from Embalenhle in Mpumalanga is content with his individual contributions this campaign, albeit emphasising he was more pleased with what they did as a team, winning two trophies in the form of the MTN8 and the Nedbank Cup, and finished as the runners up in the DStv Premiership.

“I think I added value within the squad when needed. I really think I did well for the team. I can’t take away the fact that we are a team and individual goals are inessential compared to the team, so I am satisfied with what we delivered as a team,” Monare stated, who started to show his class towards the end of the season.