BUCS DESPERATE FOR CROWN
ASAVELA Mbekile is synonymous with winning silverware, which is something that his new club Orlando Pirates haven’t done for the last four years.
Mbekile was at Mamelodi Sundowns before joining Pirates at the start of the season.
During his stint with Sundowns Mbekile lifted multiple trophies. He won the Nedbank Cup, Telkom Knockout, two league titles, the CAF Champions League and the CAF Super Cup.
Trophy drought
Tomorrow Pirates lock horns with Baroka FC in the Telkom Knockout final at Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium in Port Elizabeth (6pm kickoff).
Mbekile is cognisant of the importance of ending the trophy drought for Pirates.
“It is important to win this cup. A team like Pirates doesn’t deserve to go so many years without winning something. Pirates deserves to win a cup. The club haven’t won a cup in a while,” Mbekile said.
“Winning this cup will give us confidence to go on and win the league,” he added.
Pirates’ last triumph was back in 2014 when they swept aside Bidvest Wits 3-1 at the iconic Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban to lift the Nedbank Cup trophy.
“We won’t underestimate Baroka. Small teams can surprise you if you underrate them in such matches,” Mbekile said.
“There are no pushovers in the PSL. All the teams are good, and Baroka have proven that against big teams in this competition. We will give them the respect they deserve but our aim is to win the final.”
And Pirates would do well to be careful. Baroka are searching for their maiden triumph and they will be looking to get another big scalp having already beaten Sundowns and Wits in this tournament.
But Mbekile is not in the mood to simply hand over the trophy to Baroka.
“I want to win more. The winning feeling never fades away. Once you start winning trophies you feel like winning more.
“You never get tired of winning,” Mbekile said.