I've found a home

Fortune Makaringe has been away from professional football for a little over half a year, but he is finally back with a move to the Motsepe Foundation Championship with ambitious outfit Leicesterford City, who have signed him on a deal until the end of the season. Makaringe, who left Cape Town City after they got relegated from the Betway Premiership last season, made his debut for Leicesterford against The Bees, playing 45 minutes as the club registered a much-needed 2-1 win to start 2026 on a high. Soccer Laduma’s Tshepang Mailwane went to Leicesterford’s training in Pretoria to talk to the former Orlando Pirates midfielder about joining the club and why it took a while before he found a new home.

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Tshepang Mailwane: Hola Fortune, congratulations on your move to Leicesterford City. You’ve been with the club for close to a week and made your debut against The Bees this past Sunday. How are you feeling about the move and your debut for the club?

FM: I would say, partly. The most important thing was for me to play football. In making my move, there were a lot of elements I needed to consider.

Firstly, the location. Remember I relocated to Cape Town, and I moved my family with me. So, moving them away from Joburg would have to come with a lot of things that needed to be considered. So, Leicesterford is in Gauteng, which aligns with what has been keeping me busy. I have not been playing football, but there is a lot that I have been doing in Gauteng with my Foundation and the business side of things. So, with Leicesterford and what was put on the table, it would give me stability and something sustainable, in a good team setup. Those are things that I needed to consider. I am here to help the gents and we've got good experience in the team. I think it will pay off if we work well as a team.

TM: You join Leicesterford at a time when they are still in the race for promotion. Is that something you also considered?