I know I’m the best goalkeeper

Elusi Buthelezi was amongst four new faces signed by Orlando Pirates at the start of the

Delmain Fa ver: Melusi, Si pho Chaine’s heroics between the sticks in the recent MTN8 final penalty shootout against Mamelodi Sundowns elevated him to hero status, yet he was signed on transfer deadline day in January 2022 as cover for the Orlando Pirates goalkeepers at the time. Does his rise to becomnumber ing the club’s one inspire you in a sense that you’re thinking you could achieve the same?

Melusi Buthelezi: Ja, I think I can say I come from a similar situation to his when I was at TS Galaxy. If I remember correctly, I was the fourth-choice goalkeeper at the club. I went from being fourth to being number one. It’s not that there was someone who got injured – no, there were no injuries. It happened that the coach said, “This boy is working very hard and he has been working very hard. Let’s give him a chance.” In my situation, at the time (when) my chance came, the team was fighting relegation! So, that’s how I ended up getting my opportunity and making the most of it.

DF: At the same time Chaine got signed, your name was being bandied about at the same time as a potential signing for the Soweto giants. Were you aware at the time of the reported interest either from the club or your agent?

MB: During that time, in January, I also heard that I was supposed to come, but some things I don’t know because nobody came to me and said, “Melusi, this is what is happening there is an offer from so-and-so”, no. The time I found out there was an offer was the time that the Chaircalled man (Tim Sukazi) me and said, “Melusi, there’s something like this, and what do you say?”

DF: One thing that is a common occurrence for most new Bucs signings is the realization of the magnitude of the team. As they point out, the size of the institution far exceeds your expectations. Is that something you’ve experienced in your first few months at the club?

MB: I can say that it’s a very big club. I knew it was a big club when I was looking at it as an outsider and now that I am here, I can see just how big it is first-hand. I can now say that I am at a big club, even though I was not aware of the actual size, uyang’thola (you get me)? But I think that I have seen and experienced things here in this time that have shown me how big this club is and it wasn’t a case of looking at it from afar. Amazingly, there are still more things that I am experiencing as I go along.

DF: The club has created a sense of transparency almost unseen in the local game. Now more than ever, more and more initiatives are put in place to narrow the gap between the players and the supporters. From a player’s perspective, does that help to get up close and personal with your supporters and to also feel the love that they have for you guys?

MB: Ja, it helps us to see a different side to the fans and that the fans can see things from our side. Even though they sometimes see us on TV, they realise that we are also human beings who are able to interact with them.

DF: The one thing you must have been aware of when joining the side is the competition for a spot in the starting line-up, of which there is plenty, be it amongst the in-field players or the goalkeepers. At present, you are competing with Siyabonga

Mpontshane, Chaine and Richard Ofori, all top net minders…

MB: No, I think I came here knowing what was going on at the club, so I knew it was not going to be easy vele (indeed) because I know I am competing with some of the top keepers in the country, uyabona (you see). I’m grateful to be competing with them because I feel like it will help me also ukuthi ngikhule (to grow) and so that whenever I get my chance, I can move to a new level. So, coming here wasn’t scary to me and I still say it’s not scary even now. I know I’m the best goalkeeper. I’m not saying that maybe the people that I am working with are not the best goalkeepers. As I said, I’m competing with three of the best goalkeepers in the country and I am grateful to be rubbing shoulders with them and that I can learn from them. I was learning from them from a distance, but now that I am here, I can see how things are done and that I should do this and that.

DF: Of course, when you came in, you were reuniting with coach Tyron Damons, who knows you very well from your time together at Galaxy. shot-stopper as he has been in a similar predicament at his previous club, TS Galaxy, where he worked his way to being the club’s number one. Can he unseat the inform Chaine anytime soon then? In this interview, the Nquthu-born star talks to Soccer Laduma’s Delmain Faver on how he has settled in at the Houghtonbased outfit, working with a familiar face, and what he is learning from his new teammates.

campaign. The move came after he had been previously linked to the club, though at the time TS Galaxy managed to hold on to his services. So far, the 25-year-old’s time at the Jose Riveiroled side has been all about learning as he’s made one start and one substitute appearance for the Buccaneers, with Sipho Chaine holding on to the number one jersey. However, the situation is nothing new to the lanky

Having him there must serve as a boost for your confidence knowing he is well aware of your capabilities.

MB: Ja, I think it made it easier for me to adjust much quicker because there is someone that I know, but it wasn’t a matter of maybe getting things the easy way because I knew him. For me, it was (about) learning from him

and feeling welcome because he told me how things are done here. So, for me, it was too easy to adjust because the rest of the goalkeepers also welcomed me with open arms, which I’m really grateful for. Coach Tyron told me what he needs from me and, in return, he knows what he can expect from me because he knows me well. So, it was not difficult for me t oa djus tt o the team because I’ve worked with him at TS Galaxy and I know what kind of a person he is and I know what he demands from each and every person.

DF: Chaine is the current number one, with Ofori getting his opportunities to play here and there since recovering from injury, while there’s also Mpontshane as another option. What do you feel needs to be done from your side to ensure that you make the number one jersey your own? MB:

Uhm, it’s not gonna be easy, as I said, but the experience will help me going forward. I am learning, as I said, and the guys have been really helpful. There are times where they say, “No, you don’t have to do this” instead of watching you struggle. So, in a way, they are guiding me and helping me and it’s something that I am really grateful for, to be around them. These are people who have been around for much longer than I have, especially Mpontshi and Ofori, and obviously Sipho has also been there for quite some time, so I am learning from everyone.

DF: Last season, Pirates impressively bagged two trophies. So far in 2023/24, you have MTN8 in the bag, though not forgetting the disappointment of being dumped out of the CAF Champions League. What is the team looking to achieve based on how things are progressing at this point?

MB: Obviously, as a team there are a lot of goals that we set for ourselves, and we want to compete in all the competitions we play in. My dream is to play in the finals of all of these competitions and I think this is something that will help us to continue the rich history and legacy of the team. We can also add our own part.

IN THAT TIME, “DURING I ALSO HEARD JANUARY, TO SUPPOSED THAT I WAS SOME THINGS COME, BUT BECAUSE I DON’T KNOW ME.” CAME TO NOBODY