Pienaar ‘the man to help save Bucs’
‘Instagram’ players could learn from him – Josephs
ORLANDO Pirates chairman Irvin Khoza should chase the signature of Steven Pienaar this off-season to bring someone to the club who can show the current “Instagram” players what a real star is‚ former Bucs goalkeeper Moeneeb Josephs said.
In a scathing assessment of the commitment levels of the Pirates squad‚ Bidvest Wits and ex-Bafana Bafana World Cup keeper Josephs said Bucs had shown not enough pride, finishing 11th in the past season’s Premiership.
Josephs said even winning the Nedbank Cup final on June 24 against Super Sport United would only partly redeem Bucs’ season.
The keeper‚ a back-to-back treble winner at Pirates in 2010-11 and 2011-12‚ encouraged Khoza to chase Pienaar – out of contract at Sunderland this month – as a signing.
Josephs said the former Bafana captain could bring much-needed star quality to Bucs‚ as Benni McCarthy had, winning a treble in 2012.
“Definitely‚ definitely. ‘Schillo’ is a big Orlando Pirates supporter. Big‚ big, massive‚” Josephs enthused. “I think he would bring something. “He’d bring that spark back to Pirates. I’m vouching for Steven to come to Pirates.
“Orlando Pirates need a player like him. Not these players who are Instagram players.
“No. They need a player like Steven Pienaar – a real star‚ to come and turn things around for Pirates again.
“Many of these players‚ you can see they are Instagram stars.
“They are not doing the business for Pirates, there isn’t pride for that jersey any more.
“They’re not playing for the team‚ for the ‘Ghost’ [Bucs’ fans]‚ for the ancestors.
“Bring the big stars‚ bring the real stars. They should go and chase Steven Pienaar and show the boys there what a real star is.”
Josephs, 37‚ who won the PSL with Wits this season‚ admitted his emotions ran high about Bucs’ dismal 80th anniversary 2016-17 season.
“I like Orlando Pirates – they’ve been wonderful to me,” he said.
“They gave me a stepping stone to play on the biggest stage of my career. “And to see the players there now doing what they are doing‚ representing the team like they’re doing with fans who are hungry for success.
“I don’t give them the Nedbank Cup final, that doesn’t bother me.
“It’s the type of football they are playing‚ the way they are going about losing games – and the next thing they are on Instagram as if nothing has happened.
“For a team like Orlando Pirates that’s not enough. They need to win this trophy, but there’s not enough pride.
“Bring Steven Pienaar to Orlando Pirates. “The chairman should chase him.” Pienaar‚ 35‚ appears likely to return to play in South Africa in the coming off-season.