Orlando Pirates Sign Three Young Talents for 2026/27 Season
Orlando Pirates have moved early and decisively in the market, adding three highly rated young players to a squad clearly being built with the long game in mind.
The Buccaneers have confirmed the arrivals of Neo Rapoo, Aphiwe Baliti and Matome Mmolai ahead of the 2026/27 season, while also signing off on a trio of defensive exits as the reshaping of the squad gathers pace.
Rapoo: Modern full-back for a modern Pirates
At just 20, Neo Rapoo arrives with the profile of a full-back built for today’s game. He joins from Siwelele FC, but his footballing education traces back to SuperSport United’s development structures, a production line that rarely turns out anything but well-schooled professionals.
A left-back by trade, Rapoo is comfortable on both sides of the ball. He defends with discipline, then bursts forward with the kind of energy that stretches games and unsettles defensive blocks. That blend of technical quality and athletic drive is exactly what top clubs demand from their wide defenders now.
He has already worn South Africa’s colours at youth international level. Now he walks into a dressing room where expectation is non-negotiable. For a player with his ceiling, that pressure might be the making of him.
Baliti signs on, then heads back out
Also arriving from Siwelele is 24-year-old defender Aphiwe Baliti, another left-back with the added advantage of genuine two-footed versatility. He can operate on either flank, offering coaches tactical flexibility and cover across the back line.
Baliti knows the grind of the domestic top-flight, and that experience matters in a league where physicality and tempo can overwhelm the unprepared. His athleticism stands out, but so does his adaptability – the sort of profile that often becomes invaluable over a long season.
Pirates, though, are playing the long game. Baliti will immediately return to Siwelele FC on a season-long loan for the 2026/27 campaign. He stays in familiar surroundings, keeps playing regular first-team football, and returns a year later sharper, tougher, and ready to compete for a place rather than simply fill a gap.
Mmolai bolsters the engine room
The third new face, and perhaps the most intriguing, is central midfielder Matome Mmolai, who joins from Leicesterford City.
At 23, Mmolai is stepping into the prime development years of his career. He is an energetic, technically polished midfielder, comfortable receiving the ball under pressure and knitting together different phases of play. He can help build from deep, link with the forwards, and still contribute in the messy, contested spaces in between.
For Pirates, his arrival deepens the midfield pool and offers another option in an area that often defines title races. In a squad that already boasts strong central options, Mmolai adds a different rhythm and another reliable outlet when the game tightens and composure on the ball becomes priceless.
Khoto, Ndlozi and Mashiloane move on
While fresh talent walks through the door, others take their next steps elsewhere.
Orlando Pirates have confirmed that Gomolemo Khoto and Siyabonga Ndlozi have completed permanent transfers to Sekhukhune United. Both now join a club with growing ambition and the promise of regular minutes, a crucial platform for players entering important phases of their careers.
Right-back Tshepho Mashiloane is also heading back to Babina Noko on a season-long loan. It is another move that underlines Pirates’ approach: keep players active, keep them developing, even if it means they shine in different colours for a year.
Three in, three out. Youth, versatility, and technical quality added; pathways and opportunities opened elsewhere. The squad for 2026/27 is not just being filled – it is being engineered. The only question now is how quickly this new blend can turn potential into trophies.
