Petro Luanda freeze out Orlando Pirates loanee Gilberto

Petro Luanda freeze out Orlando Pirates loanee Gilberto

Exclusive

Photo: Ampe Rogerio / BackPagePix

Foot Africa has been informed that Orlando Pirates loanee Gilberto is set to return to his parent club after breaching contractual agreements at Petro de Luanda.

This comes after the attacker allegedly took part in a street football tournament in Kilamba, South of Luanda, as reported by this publication last week.

Gilberto was subsequently summoned by the club's hierarchy to clarify the incident, which put his fitness at a greater risk.

The participation of professional footballers in unofficial tournaments is prohibited by clubs as players risk sustaining injuries and violating contractual terms.

Sources have confirmed Petro's management deemed it fit to freeze out the 25-year-old for the remainder of the season after days of deliberating on a verdict.

Gilberto was last included in the matchday squad in the 4-0 win over Academica do Lobito in the Angolan Cup Round of 16 on 22 April.

The on-loan Bucs star has since missed six games across all competitions, and was absent as Petro clinched the league title with a 3-0 win against Lunda Sul on 06 May.

He signed for Pirates in July 2024 from Petro, but was shipped back to Angola on a six-month loan deal in January 2025 after failing to adapt to the Betway Premiership.

The loan agreement, however, was eventually prolonged to December, before a fresh deal was struck to extend his loan spell to June 2026.

Gilberto made 12 appearances in the famous Black and White jersey, failing to register a single goal contribution, with his contract set to expire at the end of the 2026/27 season.

With his future at Petro decided, it remains to be seen whether the player will be afforded a chance to impress Pirates head coach Abdeslam Ouaddou upon his return.