Namibian international Deon Hotto has been playing in the PSL for 10 years now and has made a lot of progress, starting at Golden Arrows and ending up with Soweto giants Orlando Pirates, having gone via former topflight clubs Bloemfontein Celtic and Bidvest Wits. Throughout the time, the 33-year-old has proved to be a player coaches can rely on, playing in different positions in an effort to help his clubs succeed. This season, he has missed just one match in all competitions, showing how looking after himself plays a key role in the life of any footballer who wants to play the game for as long as possible. In this honest conversation with Soccer Laduma’s Tshepang Mailwane, Hotto discusses Pirates’ frustration of starting the season slow and the frank conversations they have as players in the dressing room.
Tshepang Mailwane: Orlando Pirates have been scoring goals like crazy in 2024. What has brought about this form because it was not always like this in the first half of the season?
Deon Hotto: Yeah, I see what you are saying. To be honest with you, when we started the season, we were struggling. We were playing good football, but we were struggling to put the ball in the back of the net. Sometimes it’s one of those things where things are not going your way, but fortunately things are going well. It’s like a brand-new team, but it’s the same team. It’s just that we were not clinical enough. We had a dark cloud upon us, not putting the ball in the back of the net. But now, everything is going according to what we are doing (in training). Everything is falling into place and goals are coming.
