It would be a disaster

With one trophy in the cabinet this season, you’d think that there is not so much pressure on Orlando Pirates. Think again! After getting knocked out in the qualifying rounds of the CAF Champions League, missing out on the Carling Cup and then dropping down to fifth in the DStv Premiership standings, the heat was on coach Jose Riveiro and his players towards the end of 2023, with supporters calling for the team to improve. Currently 10 points behind Mamelodi Sundowns, Bucs do have some major concerns within the camp, like the loss in form of players such as Zakhele Lepasa and Monnapule Saleng, and the dropping of points in matches many feel they should be winning. There’s still a lot to play for this season, but it’s going to take a big change in terms of consistency for them to give the Brazilians a run for their money. In this interview, Soccer Laduma’s Tshepang Mailwane speaks to a former darling of the side’s fans, Lebohang “Cheeseboy” Mokoena to get his thoughts on various issues concerning the Soweto giants.

Tshepang Mailwane: Cheese, let’s talk about your former club, Orlando Pirates. What are your thoughts on their season so far?

Lebohang Mokoena: They have dropped a bit from how they started the first round of the league last season. Looking at the inconsistencies they have (had) this season, they are dropping points where they are not supposed to be dropping points and it’s going to make the chase really difficult if they want to win the league.

TM: What could be the reason for the inconsistency?

LM: The league is a marathon. People who have won it will tell you that it needs a lot of consistency, like going 13 games without a loss or a draw, or getting a draw instead of losing a match. Sometimes it requires you to get points against the so-called smaller teams because they always want to up their game against the big guns. The points are there with the teams that are not really competing for the league. If you look at (Mamelodi) Sundowns, that’s where they collect their points. That’s just the difference between the log leaders and the other teams in the top five. You have SuperSport United, Cape Town City, Stellenbosch FC and Pirates. It’s a bit challenging for Pirates because they do not have the consistency of winning three or four matches in a row. I don’t know how they mathematically plan for the season. If they can go to the drawing board and fix their mathematical logistics in terms of where they think they can collect three points. Pirates play really well, but lapses in concentration and mistakes from the goalkeeper, those small mistakes really affect their quest to challenge for the league.

TM: How has the drop in the form of Monnapule Saleng this season affected the side, considering how immense he was last term?

LM: Look, it would be unfair for a team like Pirates to rely on one player. If you are playing for a big team, you should have quality players all round. As a player, he was going to go through a rough patch and he is going through one now, but that’s when other players need to raise their hands. It’s their chance to shine and start scoring goals. I don’t think everything should be on the shoulders of Saleng. He is in his third season (in the topflight), so they should not put pressure on him. With him sitting outside a bit, I think it could make him recoup and pick up his form again. As a big player, you need to put your head down and refocus and rethink what you are doing wrong. Obviously, defenders are now aware of how he plays, so there will be more pressure. Maybe he has to change his game.

TM: You’ve probably been in a similar situation where you lose form and don’t play regularly. What would be your advice to him?

LM: He is a hard-working boy. It’s about revisiting his clips of when he was doing well and he should ask the coach where he can improve because players can’t always pick that up. At a club like Pirates, you always need to be on top of your game. So, for him, it’s about reflecting and fixing the mistakes, be it on or off the field. He should check where he went wrong. Or maybe it could just be a dip in form or maybe he put too much pressure on himself to be the main man who helps the team. If he can release those energies around him and focus on himself, then I think there is more to come from the boy. I think his form can come back. Maybe he might help the team towards the end of the season.

TM: Having played with the winger at Swallows FC (now Moroka Swallows), do you think he has that mental strength to bounce back?

LM: He was my roommate at Swallows. He has the mentality because he has the support. He is close with Paulus Masehe and he speaks to Vuyo (Mere), so I am sure those guys are always trying to push him and help him with his game. But I do think he has a strong mentality to bounce back. When you play for a team like Pirates, you have to have that strong mindset. When you get those 10 or 15 minutes, you need to make an impact until you get back into the starting line-up.

TM: Speaking of players who’ve lost form, Zakhele Lepasa had an incredible start to the season but struggled towards the end of the year. What do you make of his dip in form?

LM: It’s frustrating. I trained with him before he went to TS Galaxy, before he broke through into the big league. He is someone who works hard and he is one of those guys who like doing extra sessions. The mental strength of the players now is important because there are those who can sulk when someone gets ahead of you in the team. It’s going to need mental strength. And I think the Pirates forwards need to work together. Whoever starts needs to be encouraged by those who are not playing because it will be good for the coach to have two or three attackers who are

scoring goals.

TM: Would it be a successful season if Bucs finish with just the MTN8 in the bag? LM: For now, it’s average. They are 10 points behind Sundowns and the leaders have three games in hand. Maybe finishing number two would be a good achievement for them, and adding another cup in the Nedbank Cup. I think it’s possible because the coach has worked with the team for almost two seasons, and I am sure that he feels his target should be the league. If he wins another cup, I’d say it’s an average season because it would just be a repetition of what they did last season. There would not be any improvement from last season. If they finish lower than second, then it would be a disaster because they would not have achieved what they achieved last season. It does not look like they are on track now, but you can’t really rule them out as a big team. I don’t see them winning the league, I see them challenging for second spot.

TM: Jose Riveiro came under fire a bit towards the end of 2023 after the team got knocked out of the Carling Knockout and had some indifferent results in the league, which saw them dropping to fifth on the standings. Is the pressure warranted?

LM: If you look at a team like Pirates, the supporters want to win things and play good football. Getting that balance right is sometimes not easy. Also, the supporters are looking at the fact that the coach is halfway through his second season. Yes, they’ve won trophies, but I feel like the Pirates supporters want the league. If anyone can come in and win them the league, I think that would be their biggest success and happiness. For now, the coach is there for now, but he is there for the taking of the supporters because the Buccaneers are impatient. They are very impatient, and they hate it when you just repeat the same thing of winning a cup and not winning the league. They also want to win the league and challenge for CAF (Champions League) because they had that feeling when the likes of Lucky Lekgwathi were there. They want to get that feeling back. I know they will put pressure on the coach, but as a professional, he will soak up the pressure and fix his team and make sure that they play a good brand of football and start collecting points in the second round of the season.

TM: Do you see him as the type of coach who is capable of winning the league and not just cup competitions?

LM: I think he is capable. I look at how his team has been set up and the players he has. Sometimes it’s just luck. They run out of luck during the season. If the coach can get his team to be more consistent in terms of their results, then it would be better. Because sometimes it can be scrappy, but you still get the result. The mentality should be right. They need to believe that they can win all the time. It’s up to the players as well. Sometimes we look at the coach, but what are the players’ ambitions? What do they want to achieve? Maybe there is that 1% that’s missing that they need to get right.

TM: What’s your opinion on Downs’ dominance?

LM: Take nothing away from Sundowns. I think coach Rhulani (Mokwena) and his technical team have done a fantastic job. Their philosophy all-round has just shaken South Africa. I think it’s a challenge for other teams. You want to beat the best so that you can also be recognised. They’ve set the bar very high and it’s up to the others to try to catch up. If this is going to continue, then it means next season it will be the same thing again and we will be saying Sundowns will win the league again. If Sundowns has to win the league 10 times and the other guys are not catching, then so what? Let them win it 10 times so that everybody catches a wake up. We cannot fault Sundowns. The rest should catch up. Why can’t Pirates win 10 in a row? Why can’t Chiefs win 10 in a row? What’s the difference? Let’s leave the money aside because there is no money on the pitch. It’s just a mental factor. You might as well call us out of retirement and then we can challenge them, ha, ha, ha.

TM: So, you see them winning seven in a row?

LM: Yes, unless they get fatigued. They knew that they are going to have players playing in CAF competitions and at Afcon, so they probably have players who are ready to play in the second round of the season. When we won it with coach Pitso (Mosimane), it was two groups but one team. That’s the balance Sundowns has right now. Even if Peter Shalulile is not available, they know they have someone who can come in on the day and do the job.

TM: Thank you so much for your time, Cheese.

LM:*Thanks, ngwaneso.