Striker Katlego Mashego scored twice to steer Orlando Pirates to a 3-1 victory over Bloemfontein Celtic on Sunday.

Mashego, who was handed a place in the starting lineup by Rudolph Krol after a somewhat disappointing performance against Maritzburg United a few days earlier, repaid the coach with a sterling performance for Orlando Pirates and instantly became a hero in the hearts of the Ghost.

“I am very pleased that I managed to get onto the score sheet let alone twice against Celtic,” said Mashego. “…it’s a morale booster for me, but the best highlight of the game for me is certainly the three points we attained from the match.

“Scoring had been a problem for us recently and we just couldn’t get the ball in the back of the net. But it wasn’t without effort from our side, we were just unlucky but fortunately we always remained positive and we never dropped our heads because we always believed that things would eventually turnaround for the good.

He added: “On a personal level, I’ve been struggling to score goals as frequently as I did when I joined the club last season. I made a good start to my career at Pirates but somehow the goals dried up when the new season kicked off.

“I’ve been working very hard at training to regain my scoring form and this brace against Bloemfontein Celtic will go a long way in motivating me to do well.

“However, having said that I am not going to put myself under pressure and predict the future, but one thing I can guarantee is that I will put in the extra effort in every game I’m selected to play,” stated Mashego, who also walked away with the Absa Premiership Man of the Match award.

The 27-year-old also revealed in the interview with Orlandopiratesfc.com that despite being omitted from the Bafana Bafana squad to play Japan and Jamaica on the 14th November and 17th November respectively, he refused to give up on his dream to represent the country in the 2010 FIFA World Cup.

“With the World Cup just around the corner, I want my name to be there when the squad is announced. Every player dreams of representing his country and I am no different. It will be an honour to be part of the team that represents the country in the World Cup but that is next year…for now there is a job that needs to be done at club level. I have to concentrate on doing well for the club and hopefully the rest will fall into place.

“It would be very nice to add a few more goals under my belt, and also help the team to collect as many points as possible this season and ensure that the team does well,” he concluded.