Deon Hotto Reaches 400-Career Match Milestone at Orlando Pirates

Deon Hotto marked a significant milestone over the past weekend, reaching 400 career matches as he continues his impactful career in South African football. The Namibian played the full match against Mamelodi Sundowns on Saturday, demonstrating his enduring importance to Orlando Pirates under coach Abdeslam Ouaddou.

Hotto has been a consistent presence at Pirates since joining the club, earning regular starts under multiple coaches including Josef Zinnbauer, Mandla Ncikazi and Fadlu Davids, and Jose Riveiro. In his debut season (2020/21) under Zinnbauer, Hotto made 45 appearances. He followed that with 44 matches during the 2021/22 season under the co-coaching setup of Ncikazi and Davids.

When Jose Riveiro took charge, Hotto continued to lead in appearances, featuring 36 times in his first season, 41 in his second, and 46 last term until the 3-0 win over Golden Arrows in May. He then played three of the final four matches under Ncikazi at the end of the previous season, accumulating over 4,300 minutes on the pitch.

Hotto’s 400-match milestone includes his time at Golden Arrows, Bloemfontein Celtic, and Bidvest Wits, in addition to his appearances for Pirates. He began his South African career in January 2014 with Golden Arrows, playing his first match in February 2014, and contributed in the 2014/15 Nedbank Cup while Arrows were in the First Division. The total does not include NFD league games from that period.

Despite turning 35 in October, Hotto shows no signs of slowing down. With left-footed Makhehlene Makhaula yet to appear this season, Hotto remains the oldest player regularly used by Ouaddou at Pirates. His experience and consistency continue to make him a key figure for the Soweto giants, both on and off the pitch.