Orlando Pirates rising star Cemran Dansin has reflected on the incredible strike that earned him the Betway Premiership Goal of the Month award on Thursday, saying he will never forget the moment as it marked his first-ever top-flight goal.
With concerns over a shortage of midfielders, Pirates coach Abdelsam Ouaddou — who won the Coach of the Month award for November and December — started the youngster against Sundowns at Loftus Stadium last month.
Peter Shalulile fired Sundowns into the lead in the 20th minute, and it looked as though Pirates were facing a huge task to get back into the game, having not won at the Pretoria venue since the days of Pitso Mosimane as Sundowns coach.
However, just 15 minutes after Shalulile’s opener, a corner from Oswin Appollis was only half-cleared by Sundowns. The ball fell kindly to Dansin, who struck a brilliant first-time volley that left Sundowns goalkeeper Ronwen Williams rooted to the spot as it rattled off the underside of the crossbar.
Reflecting on the goal that made waves beyond South Africa’s borders, the 20-year-old expressed his pride in the recognition his maiden top-flight strike has received.
“It really means a lot to me because nobody expected me to score such an amazing goal in such an important fixture,” he told Orlandopiratesfc.co.za.
“It was a very special moment for me. It will never be forgotten.”
Dansin has enjoyed a rapid rise from youth football to the senior team since joining the Buccaneers in the 2023/24 season.
His standout performances in the DStv Diski Challenge earned him a first-team call-up during the final stretch of the 2024/25 campaign, where he made his senior debut off the bench in a 3-0 league win over Lamontville Golden Arrows.
Since then, he has made 10 more appearances across competitions, including the CAF Champions League, where he registered his first senior assist.
According to the midfielder, his breakthrough came far sooner than he expected.
“To be honest, I didn’t expect to play in the first team so soon, but when the opportunity came, I was proud of myself for breaking through and achieving so much in a short space of time,” he said.
With Pirates set to play their final match of the year this weekend, Dansin is among the players likely to feature in Durban.
The Buccaneers take on the Carling All Stars in the Carling Cup at Moses Mabhida Stadium on Saturday at 15:30.
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