It’s a big worry

It’s been a difficult campaign for Orlando Pirates, butthere is still potential for it to end joyously, with two knockout competitions up for grabs. One of the players they will be relying on to make that a reality is Deon Hotto, a man who always wears his heart on his sleeve whenever given the opportunity to put on the jersey. The Namibian international has been a key figure for the Soweto giants in the final third, proving his worth since joining from Bidvest Wits before the start of last season. In this interview with Soccer Laduma’s Tshepang Mailwane, Hotto, who has also turned outfor Golden Arrows and Bloemfontein Celtic, rates Pirates’ chances of finishing the campaign with a trophy, addresses Mamelodi Sundowns’ dominance and the fact that he has not had the experience of playing in frontof the Ghost faithful since joining the club.

Tshepang Mailwane: Deon, what do you make of the start Orlando Pirates has made to 2022, with the team currently competing on three fronts?

Deon Hotto: For us as players and technical staff, I think we have started the year well. We are happy with the start, but we are just praying to k eep up the momentum all the way until the last game of the season.

TM: How do you go about being consistent because, at times, consistency is what has let the Soweto giants down? DH: The most difficult part of k eeping the consistency is having fresh players andmaking sure that players are fully recovered. As long as we are injury-free, I believe everything will be in place. Most of our injured players are coming back, like (Richard) Ofori, (Vincent) Pule and Zak es (Zak hele Lepasa) – they have come back now. (Happy) Jele also came back, so we are on the right path.

TM: There’s also Gabadinho Mhango and Olisa Ndah, who can play a big role for the team after their recent participation in the Africa Cup of Nations… DH: Those guys went to Afcon and they did very well there. What they brought with them from there is also a boost for the team. They came back with something special. You can see how Olisa is playing – he is very calm on the ball. We are just waiting for Gaba to get his chance andhopefully it’s going to come very soon.

TM: How much are you missing him? DH: Yeah, we miss him a lot. He is a goal poacher. We k now what he can do. We all saw what he did at Afcon, so we are just hoping and praying for him to get his chance. When that chance comes, he must just grab it.

TM: How has the Malawian international been doing at training?

DH: He has been outstanding. He is fresh. He didnot have a break . He was at Afcon, so he is very fresh. He just needs to wait for his chance.

TM: One of those players who made a return towards the end of last year is Thembinkosi Lorch. His prolonged absence must have been a blow for the team, knowing the qualities he possesses as a footballer…

DH: To be honest, all the players were missed. Everybody was missed, including him, because he is a player who can create something out of nothing. He’s that type of player and we are grateful to have him. We are just praying for everyone to be available.

TM: You got a great result against JS Saoura to kickstart your CAF Confederation Cup group stage campaign. How important was that victory in terms of setting the tone in the group stage?

DH: Whenever you are playing a home game, especially in the CAF tournaments, you have to make sure that you get the result. We got a good result at home and we are happy with that. They are a difficult team to play against. They have good players, but we managed to get a win, which is good for us. Our defenders were outstanding. They are the ones who scored the goals on the day (Jele andBandile Shandu netted). We are happy because it’s a collective effort. We can’t only rely on strik ers and midfielders to score. The defenders needto score as well. If there is a setpiece, they have to do what they do best, lik e what Happy didandShandu mak ing those late runs into the box. We are happy about that.

TM: Do you think there is a realistic chance for Pirates to win this competition, which you got into the final of back in 2015? DH: Definitely, it’s one of our targets. We want to go all the way and lift it. Last year, we had a good experience in the competition. We were k nock ed out in the quarterfinals by a good side, which is Raja Casablanca. But we have learnt a lot and we are just hoping to go all the way this time.

TM: Another trophy that’s still up for grabs is the Nedbank Cup. DH: Most definitely. It’s a cup that we want to tak e. We want to go all the way andput something in the club’s cabinet. I have not won this competition before. We want to give it our all to try to win it.

TM: You are facing defending champions Marumo Gallants in the Last 16. What are your thoughts?

DH: It’s not an easy draw. We actually wanted for the game to be at home because we will be travelling a lot, but it is what it is. They are a very tough team to play against, coached by Dan “Dance”. Playing against a team that’s coached by him is always going to be difficult. They have a lot of nippy players, who play a lot in the pock ets, so it won’t be easy, but we are ok ay with the draw.

TM: Why do you think you have fallen so far behind Mamelodi Sundowns in the DStv Premiership this season?

DH: We hada lot of draws in the league and we also did not have all our players because most of them were injured. At least in the new year, the players are coming back . We had a lot of injuredplayers.

TM: Injuries are there, but at a team like Pirates, shouldn’t there be other players who can come in and still do the job?

DH: Yes, it has to be like that. (Laughs) I don’t k now how to answer that, but what you are saying is true. When there are injuries, there will be changes and, at times, players can be played out of position. I have played as a strik er, as a fullback , because we didnot have players. When the coach ask s you, you raise your handandsay, “It’s fine, coach, I will do it.” Then you do your level best. It’s been tough though, but we are just grateful that we have players back .

TM: Have you given up on winning the league?

DH: There is still a chance. It’s not over until it’s over. We just need to try to collect maximum points andthe rest will follow. The season has been okay. We’ve managedto get where we

are, but we are still going to push.

TM: What do you think of the Premiership at the moment and is there any worry from your side that it’s becoming a one-team league, with the Brazilians dominating it so much? DH:

“We actually wanted for the game to be at home because…”

Yeah, it’s a big worry. It happened in Spain some years ago, where Barcelona won the league maybe like six times in a row. It happened in Italy as well with Juventus, so it is a big worry. I think every team wants to stop that, especially us. We really want to stop that. There’s still a lot of games to be played, so let’s see what’s going to happen.

TM: But how can Downs be stopped? DH: They need to drop points and we needto get points. That’s it.

TM: Do you think the Bucs squad can match their squad pound for pound?

DH: Yes, definitely. We have great players as well in our team, so pound for pound, we can definitely go. We have quality players in every department, so we can definitely match them.

TM: As players, do you talk about not wanting to end the season without a trophy in the cabinet?

DH:

Yes, we do talk. Now there’s three cups to play for. These are things that we are always talk ing about, before training, after training, when we are in camp. We remind each other that it’s not over because there are still cups that we can share with our supporters. It’s something that we talk about.

TM: Would you consider it a failure if you end the season without silverware?

DH: Yes, definitely. It would be a failure. We are trying our best to avoid that. We have to win something, and we k now as a team we are going to get something this season. The coaches play a big role in the team in k eeping the players together. They try to mak e everybody happy. They do their best for the team.

TM: Since you joined the club, you have not experienced the thrill of having supporters at the stadium wearing the famous Black and White jersey. How does that feel?

DH:

You know, growing up and watching the games of Pirates, you

k now every time that the stadiums are full. That’s something I want to feel also, wearing that Black and White jersey and seeing the fans there and letting that feeling sink in, you know. But hopefully soon we will see the supporters at the stadium.

“They need to drop points and we need to get points. That’s it.”

TM: Before we let you go, are you happy with how you’ve performed since joining the Soweto giants from Bidvest Wits last season?

DH: Yes, I am. But I still feel I can do more. Every day, I try to improve because I feel I can still do a lot more, with more goals andassists, andbring trophies to the team. Also, to help the upcoming youngsters, lik e (Boitumelo) Radiopane andothers in the team.

TM: Good luck then as you try to finish the season strong.

DH: Thank you. ❐

provide for the national team? Not to say it is compulsory, but this should be a concern for football-loving patriotic citizens. With due respect to “small” teams currently supplying Bafana with players, we cannot expect such players to bring their A-game when it is needed most, simply because they are groomed within a “small club mentality” environment. I don’t see our national team ever being the powerhouse it should be with the current trend and attitude displayed by the likes of Sundowns, specifically. Ngoako Leboho- Mokwena Village, Senwabarwana

I agree with FIFA’s newly implemented law of prohibiting teams from loaning out more than six players per season, as this will limit clubs from signing players they don’t need. Last time I checked, my team had more than eight players loaned out this sea