It’s a Pirates life for Wome: Bucs find a treasure in midfielder
Senior national team a side in flux as Da Gama gets them ready for friendlies
THAT Bafana Bafana needed a Hlompho Kekana special to overcome Golden Arrows in a training ground friendly yesterday, highlighted the fact it’s still early days in the build-up to the friendlies against Guinea-Bissau on Saturday and Angola next week.
In the final period of a third 30-minute session, the Mamelodi Sundowns midfielder cracked in one of his trademark long range specialties to win the clash 1-0 at the King Zwelithini Stadium in Umlazi in front of a small crowd.
Day three of the national squad’s Durban training camp was the first time the 25-man squad worked out together after midfielder Keagan Dolly joined the team following his arrival late on Tuesday from France. Being just over five months since the last outing, a 1-1 draw in Mozambique, this is almost a fresh start for Bafana.
It’s a side in a state of flux. When they step onto the Moses Mabhida Stadium pitch on Saturday at 3pm against the Wild Dogs, it will mark the second game at the helm for caretaker coach Owen da Gama following the dismissal of former coach Ephraim Mashaba for insubordination earlier this year.
A new coach is expected to be announced shortly, and for players – such as striker Kermit Erasmus and midfielder Kamohelo Mokotjo – this is a new chapter after they returned to the fold following fallouts with Mashaba. DOVE WOME’S marriage with Orlando Pirates has all the ingredients of a match made in heaven.
The Buccaneers needed a man to lift them off their feet after an underwhelming season, while the Togolese forward has been in search of a stable home. The two complement each other well.
Wome didn’t play regularly at Mamelodi Sundowns and SuperSport United, not through a lack of talent but rather because there was a strong competition for places. He has been a regular
Erasmus showed his appetite for national honours with a lively run out against Arrows, while midfielder Thulani Serero – out in the cold at Ajax Amsterdam, where he doesn’t feature in the club’s plans – also made the most of the call-up during the warm-up match.
Come Saturday afternoon, the team should enjoy better interplay. Defensively the structure is more settled. Regular first choice goalkeeper Itumeleng Khune was announced as captain this week. In front of him the options are familiar names, Rivaldo Coetzee, Thulani Hlatshwayo and Erick Mathoho.
Da Gama is looking to blood Lorenzo Gordinho, the Kaizer Chiefs central defender, who is one of three uncapped players in the squad. The others are attackers Phakamani Mahlambi and Luther Singh, who recently helped Amajita qualify for the Fifa Under-20 World Cup that will be played in South Korea in May.
Another player looking to make an impact is Thabo Mnyamane. He made his debut under Mashaba in 2015 when he played for AmaTuks and has since then been enjoying continental club football in the Caf Confederation Cup with SuperSport United. A return to the Bafana set-up comes at the right time for the 24-year-old.
“I was honoured to get the call-up ... African sides are very physical, and they play with their hearts whether it’s a friendly or not, so we have to showcase our talents on the day,” said Mnyamane. at Pirates since joining them on loan from Matsatsantsa in January. The 25-year-old has scored three goals in the club’s last five matches, giving Pirates a hero they have lacked. That could see him finally get a stable home.
“Dove is too good of a player to be sitting and not playing,” SuperSport coach Stuart Baxter said recently. “In the shape that we are playing, he doesn’t get a chance to play in his favourite position. That’s why he didn’t play a lot of games.”
While the goals having dried up for Tendai Ndoro, not helped by him getting limited game time, Wome has taken up the responsibility of leading the Buccaneers from the front. He does a good job of playing as a second striker, supporting Thamsanqa Gabuza, who bulldozes defenders.
If Wome can help Pirates get past his former club Ea Lla Koto in the Nedbank Cup last 16, it wouldn’t hurt his chances of making his stay permanent. Pirates will visit the Bethlehem club twice in a space of a week next month, starting with a league clash in Bethlehem next Saturday, which is followed by the Cup tie. What winning that Cup will mean for Pirates and Wome, further shows the mutually beneficial relationship.
“This Cup is the last chance for us to bring the glory back to the club,” Wome said.
“It’s not just an opportunity for us to bring joy to the fans, but also an opportunity to go back to playing in Africa. My wish is to play and do well in the continent, something that the club has a rich history of doing.”
The Buccaneers haven’t played on the continent since they lost in the 2015 Caf Confederation Cup final. They earned their place in that OFF YOU GO: Lions head coach Johan Ackermann, left, and his assistant Swys de Bruin. tournament by winning the 2014 Nedbank Cup. That victory helped them ease the pain of reaching three Cup finals – the 2013 Caf Champions League, MTN8 and Telkom Knockout – and losing all three. The Nedbank Cup could once again provide some light for what has been a miserable season.
The international break and the fact that not a single Pirates player was called up to Bafana Bafana has given Kjell Jonevret more time to work with his players. The Buccaneers ended a 12-match winless run with the victory over amateur side EC Bees in the Nedbank Cup. That win might have given them confidence, but they still have a lot of work to do in the league. Wome also has some catching up to do in the domestic front as he makes up for the time he lost at Matsatsantsa and the Brazilians.
“I didn’t play much (at SuperSport with Baxter in charge) because I came from an injury and the team was doing well,” Wome said. “Obviously the coach couldn’t just change the team. For me now to be part of the biggest club in Africa, I am very happy. I want to leave a mark to make the supporters happy.”