Gaston Sirino has gotten his time at Kaizer Chiefs with some acknowledgement from back home in Uruguay about his incredible ride in South Africa.
For all the success that Sirino has enjoyed playing for Mamelodi Sundowns, where he gathered seven league winners' medals, there has been little interest in him from Uruguay, where South Africa is known as an exotic destination.
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This week, Diario El Pueblo – a publication from Salto, where Sirino hails from – took notice of his move to Chiefs, which comes on a two-year deal.
"Gastón Sirino from Salta is 33 years old (born February 22, 1991) and signed on August 3, 2024, for Kaizer Chiefs from Johannesburg (South Africa).
"Sirino has been playing successfully since 2018 in the South African League, his previous team was Mamelodi Sundowns from Pretoria," reads an article from the publication, which goes on to detail his time in the PSL.
The biggest circulating newspaper in Uruguay – El Pais – recently had an interview with the new Chiefs signing, who detailed how he was told to leave Penarol while in their youth structures because of his height.
Penarol provides one half of the most successful and popular Uruguayan clubs, with Nacional occupying the other half.
After Penarol, Sirino went to Rampla Juniors, before spending time in Chile and Bolivia, from where he moved to Sundowns in January 2018.
"When I first got the offer, it was very difficult because of what many people told me…at first I was hesitant, but once I was here, I really enjoyed it," said Sirino.
By the time his two-year deal at Chiefs runs up, he will have spent eight-and-a-half years in South Africa, where he now holds permanent residence.
While his wife and two daughters – one born in Chile and the other in Uruguay – are settled in Johannesburg, the pint-sized attacker has hopes of ending his career back home.
"One always dreams of playing in the country where one is born.
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"I would like to return to play in my country because it is a dream of mine and my family.
"Being able to finish my career in Uruguay would be nice
"I am a professional and I would play for any club, but it is true that playing in the main squad of Peñarol remains as a pending debt for me," said Sirino in that interview.