It’s up to the coach

Having last reached the knockout stages of the CAF Confederation Cup in 2015, and being drawn in the group stage against Enyimba of Nigeria, Tunisian side ES Setif and Al Ahli Benghazi who call Libya home, not many would have given Orlando Pirates a chance to be among the two teams to progress to the quarterfinals. But here they are, with giants Raja Casablanca standing between them and passage into the next stage. The two-legged affair is expected to be a tactical battle and a real test of the Buccaneers’ credentials on a stage as big as this, having been disappointing in putting up a fight in the league title race this season. Speaking to Soccer Laduma’s Lunga Adam, Lucky Lekgwathi, fondly remembered as the captain who lifted the Soweto giants’ double treble, says an opportunity to make history for the 1995 CAF Champions League winners, starting with a win on Sunday, should not be lost on the current generation.

Lunga Adam: Champ, big game for Orlando Pirates on Sunday. What are your thoughts?

Lucky Lekgwathi: When you play against a team like Raja Casablanca, it’s obviously a tough game. It’s not going to be easy. Konje badlala kuphi (Remind me, where are they playing), home or away, first?

LA: Home… LL:

I think it’s going to be a good advantage for Raja Casablanca, you understand, because you know when you play away, you only need a draw and then to go back and score a goal or two. But you know what, with the way Pirates have been doing well in this competition this season, I don’t think they are under pressure. But for Raja, because they’ve been participating in the Champions League and whatever, they want to console themselves with this trophy. At Pirates, the only trophy we’ve never won is the Confed Cup. We won wonke lama trophy lawa (all these other trophies) and the missing one is this one. Khona manje (Right now), the way the team is gelling well, I think this game is coming at the right time. After winning 3-0 against Black Leopards, the spirit is high. If the coach can just make sure he plays a good team that is going to compete, there is a chance they can win this game. And since they are playing at home first, they need to make sure that they score la (here), because they know the story of playing away from South Africa in the Confed Cup or the Champions League – it’s hard, it’s not easy. You can play a draw here or win 1-0 and then you find that when you get there, you lose. So, any opportunity that they get at home, they must make sure they convert it. They must score as many goals as possible so that when they go away, it’s going to be simple for them. But I trust that they would have learned from previous games, losing 1-0 against Enyimba on the back of a draw at home (against ES Setif). So, even the new players have that experience of playing in the Confed Cup and they know what to expect, which is good for them. To have reached the knockout stages means they have gained a bit of experience. One thing I can say is that I just want to wish them good luck. They must just go there with that mentality that they are not going there to only represent Orlando Pirates, they are going there to represent the nation. And again, they must make sure that we’re going to be the first team to win all these cups so that they will be in the history books of Orlando Pirates. People are still talking about those guys that won the 1995 Champions League, abo (the likes of) Williams Okpara and Jerry Sikhosana. So, nabo (even them), they must have that thing yokuthi (of saying), ‘You know what, we must make people say Pirates won the Confed Cup in 2021 and this player did this and that.’

LA: You say the team has a chance ‘if the coach can just make sure he plays a good team that is going to compete’. What would be a good team, in your opinion, for this kind of game?

LL: You know what, you need goals. When you play home, you make sure that you play with strikers because you need goals. Without strikers, you can’t score goals. So, for me, I think he (Josef Zinnbauer) knows he must play with two strikers… even if it can be three so that we can score goals. Then when you go away, you know that you can play with one striker. From my experience of playing against Al Ahly in the final of the Champions League, when we played at home, we played with two strikers. When we went away, we played Collins Mbesuma up front, with someone behind him. So, for the coach, I think playing away, he must make sure no matter what, he plays a defensive team because you don’t want to be attacking – because they are going to attack you! Unless you know hayi (no), they are not good in attacking. But this is Raja Casablanca, we know they are a good team – you can’t go there and undermine them. So, coming here, we must make sure those guys defend and to score as many goals as possible and, going away, to protect those goals. We’ve also got players who’ve played in the Champions League. I know people can say whatever about “Tyson” (Thulani Hlatshwayo), but he is playing for Bafana Bafana, he’s played in the Champions League. We need players like that, players that have played in that stage and who know the meaning of playing in the Confed Cup or outside South Africa.

LA: He’s received a lot of criticism of late, obviously. Having played in the same position as him, what advice would you give Hlatshwayo especially as Bucs are up against a Raja side that scored 13 goals in the group stages?

LL: Ja, you mention something important… same position as me, (and he’s also wearing) my jersey. I spoke to him, even now when he was not playing. I told him that it happened to me, where I was not playing well and I got a call from the chairman, saying, “You know what, forget about the mistake you made. Every game is a new game. You must make sure that you improve.” I spoke to him and said, “Forget about all these things, like now you are wearing the armband or whatever. Play your normal game. Don’t put yourself under pressure. I know people are talking, but forget about their comments and only focus on the positives, and after that, you’ll do well.” And now he’s playing very, very well. I think he listened to my advice, and you know one thing that he promised me, he said to me he’s gonna represent that jersey with dignity. I’m happy to see him bouncing back, and I think he needs people like us, the legends that played for Pirates before, to give him support, give him advice. I know what that jersey means to everyone and I hope he will continue doing well and working hard.

LA: The Moroccan giants not only scored an avalanche of goals, but didn’t conceded a single goal throughout the group stages, winning all their six games. It’s not going to be a walk in the park for Pirates.

LL: I said it, I said it’s not gonna be easy because we know the history of Raja. The name Raja Casablanca… it’s not just an ordinary team. It’s a big team in Morocco. But I have confidence in the boys. They bounced back very well against Leopards. Yes, they lost to (Mamelodi) Sundowns, but before that, they had been playing well. It’s up to the coach. If the coach, on the day, can put out a good team, there’s no way that team can stop us. The only challenge or the only downfall with our team is, you know, the chopping and changing. Like now, we won – the next game, he needs to continue with the same team. All the games we’ve won against clubs from other African countries, the coach must just go back and look at the team he played so that we can play some of the players that played well in those games. I think credit must go to the chairman. He has assembled a good team. I know that Sundowns have got good players, but Pirates… that’s why I’m saying the downfall is selecting the team. The coach must just make sure that he gets his winning combination that can win him the Confed Cup.

LA: Right. LL:

You must also remember that though we lost against Sundowns in Orlando recently, in the Confed Cup, we haven’t lost a game at home. It shows that at home, we can play against any team. Yes, we lost against Enyimba away, but sometimes you learn from your own mistakes and you look at it and say, ‘I lost to Enyimba because of one, two, three.’ The other thing, we mustn’t forget that we had already almost qualified, so it was not a must-win. I’m happy with our record at Orlando and we must make sure we continue not losing at home. We must make sure that we beat them going to Morocco and, like I said, away it’s just a matter of playing a defensive game. A goal is a bonus, but you make sure these guys don’t score. You score at home, you go there, you make sure they don’t score. We played against a side like TP Mazembe at Orlando, we beat them. We went to Lubumbashi, we didn’t want them to score, but it happened because of dubious refereeing. But you don’t allow a team to score at your home ground. Make sure that you don’t concede, but you, you score. Going away, make sure that you close the shop.

LA: Spoken like the true legend you are. Thanks a lot for your time, champ.

LL: Thank you so very much, mngani wami (my friend), and please, bangakhohlwa mngani wami ukuthi (they mustn’t forget that) they are not going there to represent Orlando Pirates, they are going there to represent the nation. And again, they must be the first team in South Africa to win all these cups. ❐