Bibo: I gave Pirates first preference

Cape Town - Orlando Pirates midfielder Thandani Ntshumayelo says the Soweto giants always had first option when it came to his future.

Bibo, as he is affectionately known, was recently believed to have been courted by SuperSport United and Bidvest Wits, but rebuffed any temptation and signed a two-year extension with the Buccaneers.

The decision was greeted with some surprise, with Ntshumayelo finding game time increasingly hard to come by under head coach Eric Tinkler, but the midfielder insists he never had any doubt over his future with the club.

"There was no formal approach from either of the clubs [Wits and SuperSport]. I gave Pirates first preference because I wanted to stay at the club," he told Soccer Laduma.

"I was not even looking elsewhere, but I was waiting for the chairman [Irvin Khoza] because he respects me. Because of the way he treats me, I wanted to give him first preference."