Orlando Pirates players Thulasizwe Mbuyane, Rooi Mahamutsa, Clifford Ngobeni and Patrick Malokase made a surprise appearance at the Johannesburg-leg of the Orlando Pirates Telkom Charity Cup roadshow held in Joubert Park on Tuesday.

Pirates – who are currently the defending champions of the Telkom Charity Cup, occupy fourth spot in the Telkom Charity standings, behind Amazulu, Sundowns and Chiefs.

The presence of the Bucs quartet was the highlight of the day as they bought the entire venue to a total standstill. Following their introduction to the hordes of supporters in attendance – the players signed t-shirts and took pictures much to the excitement of those in attendance.

New recruits, Malokase (from Bloemfontein Celtic) and Ngobeni (Ajax) – who were making their first public appearance as Buccaneers, were overwhelmed with the warm response from the supporters. “WOW”, was Malokase’s first expression on arrival. “It felt really good to spend time with our supporters on our off-day. I was very touched with the warm reception that we received... the supporters were very happy to see us and they did everything to make myself and Clifford (Ngobeni) feel at home”.

He added: “I can only guess how much more of an impact this support will have on us when we walk onto the pitch in our Pirates colours for the very first time – it will be special.

Ngobeni concurred: “It would be nice to be part of the Telkom Charity Cup as this will be my first. I am looking forward to the experience and hopefully I can make my mark sooner rather than later.

“But it is up to the supporters to ensure that they vote in their numbers so that dream can be a realization. Not forgetting, this is for charity so the more votes the better,” said the Soweto-born midfielder.

Meanwhile, Mr. Norman representative of the host branch – Greater Johannesburg, thanked the club for making an effort to bridge the gap between the Ghost and their players.

“It was a great pleasure to host this part of the campaign and have the opportunity to spend time with some of our heroes - especially, the new players Patrick Malokase and Clifford Ngobeni,” said Norman.

“I would like to commend them for the job well done by guiding the new players to the right direction at the beginning. It is important that the players are introduced to us – the main stakeholders of football, in order to give them our blessings. This will also help them to understand the culture of the club and live with the spirit of putting the people first.

He added: “On behalf of the Ghost family, I would like to use this opportunity to welcome all our new players on the Bucs ship and wish them all the best with the club.”