Patrick Maswanganyi opens up on family struggles behind Orlando Pirates exit

The attacking midfielder brought an end to his stay with the Buccaneers earlier this season after making just four appearances, despite being expected to take on greater responsibility following Relebohile Mofokeng's departure to Belgian side Royal Union Saint-Gilloise.

His exit surprised many Pirates supporters, particularly given his popularity at the club. However, Maswanganyi has now explained that finding peace and rebuilding his confidence became more important than remaining in South Africa.

Speaking to the South African Football Journalist Association (SAFJA), the former Bafana Bafana international revealed that his decision had been discussed with the club's chairman for an extended period.

"I asked the chairman to let me leave the club because I felt like it was the right moment for me to leave, and we spoke about it, me leaving the club for a very long time," he said.

Maswanganyi admitted that the criticism directed at him had become difficult for his loved ones to deal with, with some comments even making his family question whether he should continue playing football.

"Everyone knows that I was under a lot of pressure, not really pressure for me, but my family was suffering from the comments that I was getting from the media," he explained.

He added that moving abroad would allow his family to escape the negativity while giving him an opportunity to rediscover himself as a footballer.

"I needed to be in a space where I could feel like myself again and also to try to be at peace because I was looking for peace," he said.

The 27-year-old believes the move to Bahrain offers the fresh start he needed after a difficult period at Pirates, where public scrutiny had increasingly affected his confidence and personal life.

In Bahrain, Maswanganyi feels he is now at peace and starting to enjoy his football again without any pressure.