Five Key Factors For Pirates Cup Success

Photo by Philip Maeta/Gallo Images

With eight trophies won by Orlando Pirates in the last five years, Soccer Laduma highlights five factors that were key to the ongoing considerable success by the Soweto giants.

Under-rated coaches

Pirates are building a reputation of hiring coaches who were yet to prove themselves, particularly for big teams, as former coach Jose Riveiro only became a head coach of any club in 2019 for Finnish side Inter Turku, after he was the assistant coach for the majority of his coaching career.

Abdeslam Ouaddou also only became a head coach in his career as recently as 2020 at Mouloudia in Algeria. The trophy success under the two coaches, who were inexperienced, shows that The Buccaneers knew what they were looking for in a coach, not in a name.

Control of big personalities

Often the so-called big stars have a tendency to spoil the spirit in the dressing room and Pirates were quick to sell Thembinkosi Lorch to Mamelodi Sundowns in January 2024, when his personality was spiraling out of control.

Ezimnyama also did not allow the Monnapule Saleng issue to affect the dressing room and remained determined, even with Saleng, for a period of seven months was not pitching to training.

Trust in the youth

Relebohile Mofokeng proving his worth early in his career, seemingly motivated the upcoming crop of other youngsters, as Mohau Nkota hit the ground running and was influential in the absence of Saleng.

Mbekezeli Mbokazi found the environment conducive for youngsters in the first team, as he also carried the team in the two trophies, the MTN8 and Carling Knockout.

Mofokeng was also decisive, scoring in three cup finals that Pirates won, vs Mamelodi Sundowns in the Nedbank Cup, in the MTN8 final against Stellenbosch and recently against Marumo Gallants in the Carling Knockout.

Going big and smart on transfers

From Riveiro’s first season in the 2022/23 campaign, Pirates made 14 new signings, including Kermit Erasmus, Miguel Timm, Nkosinathi Sibisi, Tapelo Xoki, Evidence Makgopa, Sipho Chaine and Makhehlene Makhaula, notably.

In the 2023/24 term, The Ghosts made nine new additions, including Patrick Maswanganyi and Thalenthe Mbatha (initially on loan) and took a back seat in the Spaniard’s last season, notably signing Gilberto and Deano Van Rooyen.

However, Pirates arguably had the best transfer window of the current season, after bringing on board the likes of Oswin Appollis, Sipho Mbule, Masindi Nemtajela, Tshepang Moremi, Kamogelo Sebelebele and Sihle Nduli among 14 new recruits.

Reliable goalkeeper

Pirates for a long time struggled without a reliable goalkeeper and Sipho Chaine has made a name for himself, already Bafana Bafana’s number two, also becoming a hero in a few matches leading up to or in the finals that The Buccaneers won on penalties.

The former Chippa United shot-stopper has actually become a penalty-saving specialist, the best in the domestic cups in the last few seasons.

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