In this edition of Negotiating Behind The Scenes, KickOff catches up with former Orlando Pirates player Cavaan Sibeko.
The former midfielder reveals how the late Stanley "Screamer" Tshabalala courted him for the Sea Robbers.
Who did you sign for?
"I remember that day I joined Orlando Pirates very well, it was in 2006. I was very excited, you know, as a young boy from ekasi, it's our wish to see ourselves playing for one of the big teams. So it was a dream come true."
How did you find out?
"It happened after we played a league game against them at Loftus Versfeld Stadium. My contract at SuperSport United was only left with a few months.
"Pirates spoke to me immediately after our game at Loftus... it was on a Saturday. We beat them 4-3 that day. The late Ta Screamer Tshabalala is the one who approached me.
"A week after that game, I got a call from my agent, asking how I'd feel if I moved to Orlando Pirates."
Where did you meet?
"We met in this other place in Houghton, not too far from the Pirates offices. After that, we met at the Pirates offices."
Who was there?
"Bra Stan, the chairman, my manager and myself. That is where we discussed everything before I signed. They told me how much they expected me to help them win trophies since that was something I was used to at SuperSport United. They had just hired Micho as their new coach, and they took me through the history of the club and how big it was. What made things easy for me was the fact that I'm a Pirates supporter."
What surprised you?
"The huge difference between what SuperSport United used to give me as a signing-on fee and what Pirates gave me that day. I was shocked to learn that some players get such huge amounts as signing-on fees. It shocked me. That's when I realised SuperSport United was robbing me all along. What Pirates gave me was a lot."
Did you get what you wanted?
"Our agreement was straightforward forward, and we agreed on everything; both I and my manager were very happy with what we got."
Did you see the contract?
"I signed a three-year contract but stayed only a year-and-a-half before I was loaned out to Maritzburg United, the reason being game-time was hard to come by.
"They had replaced 'Micho' [Milutin Sredojevic] with Owen Da Gama, who was not a big fan of my style of play."
What you would change?
"Nothing in the contract per se, just the fact that I didn't get enough chance to showcase my talent at Pirates."