Former Orlando Pirates winger Patrick 'Tito' Maswanganyi has opened up about the difficult period he experienced towards the end of his time at the Soweto giants, revealing that although criticism from supporters never affected him personally, the treatment of his family on social media eventually became a serious concern.

Maswanganyi, 28, left Pirates at the beginning of the current season and moved abroad after experiencing increasing criticism from sections of the club's supporters. The attacking midfielder previously explained that the negative comments directed at him had started affecting his family, making his situation at the club increasingly difficult.

During his time at Pirates, Maswanganyi became a regular talking point among supporters, with his performances attracting both praise and criticism. Some fans questioned his contribution to the team, while others expected more from a player who had arrived with high expectations.

One of the moments that attracted considerable attention was the controversial comparison made by Pirates legend Jomo Sono, who used the phrase about not comparing an ant with an elephant when discussing the midfielder.

However, Maswanganyi has now explained that Sono's comments and the criticism directed at him were not necessarily what pushed him away from Pirates.

Speaking to iDiski Times, the former Buccaneers player said he had become accustomed to negative comments from the beginning of his career at the club. He explained that he was able to handle criticism when it was directed at him, but things became different when his family started being affected.

"I would say no," Maswanganyi stated when asked whether Sono's comments had affected him.

He explained that negative comments had followed him since his debut for Orlando Pirates, but he had never allowed them to influence his football or determination to continue playing.

However, the midfielder admitted that seeing his family hurt by the criticism was something he struggled to accept.

According to Maswanganyi, his family became so uncomfortable with the situation that they sometimes did not even want him to attend training or return to Orlando Pirates.

He revealed that some of his family members felt it would be better for him to stop playing football altogether because that would prevent people from continuing to make negative comments about him.

Maswanganyi said he constantly tried to explain to his family that criticism was part of professional football and that supporters sometimes expressed their opinions because they wanted players to improve.

Despite his efforts to reassure them, the negative comments continued to affect his loved ones.

The former Pirates attacker believes the situation became particularly difficult because his family did not want to see him going through such an experience.

He also pointed out that parents naturally want to protect their children from situations that could cause them emotional pain.

Maswanganyi explained that if the criticism had only been directed at him, he might still have been playing for Orlando Pirates.

His comments provide further insight into the reasons behind his departure from the club and show that his decision to leave was not simply about football or his performances on the pitch.

For the midfielder, protecting his family from the continued social media backlash became more important than remaining at a club where he had experienced difficult moments.

Source: IDiskiTimes