Orlando Pirates continued their squad overhaul with the signing of utility player Wayde Jooste, who was last seen in the colours of the now-defunct Highlands Park.
The 29-year-old becomes the fifth signing made by the Buccaneers in the current window, and his unveiling comes just hours after the club announced the departure of eight first-team members.
Wayde Jooste joins Orlando Pirates
He joins the club on a three-year contract and will compete for a spot at right-back with the likes of Mthokozisi Dube and Abel Mabaso.
The versatile former Bloemfontein Celtic player, who can also play as an attacker on the right flank, occasionally shifting to the left, said joining the Soweto giants was a dream come true.
“I am happy to have joined Orlando Pirates,” he told the club’s official website. “This is an opportunity I look to grab with both hands. “I know everybody says this is a dream come true but before I started playing professionally, my father and I supported Orlando Pirates. Whenever we played against Pirates, it felt special because I felt I was getting closer to my childhood dream”.
Wayde Jooste
Dream come true
Jooste made his top-flight debut in the colours of Celtic towards the end of the 2013/14 season.
He featured only sporadically for the Free State outfit, but would become a regular when he moved to Golden Arrows in 2016.
The player spent three season at Abafana Besthende before his move to Highlands Park.
The Port Elizabeth-born player added;
“Today I find myself playing for the club that I not only support but a club that even my home boy Daine Kate also played for”, he said.
Wayde Jooste
Earlier in the transfer window, Pirates announced the signing of Bafana captain Thulani Hlatshwayo, along with former Bidvest Wits teammates, Terrence Dzvukamanja and Deon Hotto, while Collins Makgaka joined from Baroka.
The club has also released Alfred Ndengane, Augustine Mulenga and Xola Mlambo among others from its first-team squad.