A long awaited win for Pirates wingback Shandu
Player says team unity led to their success
After failing to win a cup in three attempts Orlando Pirates wingback Bandile Shandu has described their success in the MTN8 as long overdue after their 1-0 victory over AmaZulu at Moses Mabhida Stadium on Saturday.
The title was Shandu’s first after failing to win in three previous finals with Maritzburg United and Pirates.
But after finally winning a title, the defender could not hide his excitement about getting a gold medal.
“It’s been long overdue,” Shandu told the media after the match.
“This is my fourth final, two with Maritzburg United, one with Pirates in the CAF Confederation Cup and this is the second one with the club and I’m happy to finally get a gold medal.
“It was a very tough match. I think we controlled every phase of the game correctly and whatever challenges that it presented we managed to adapt accordingly.”
The 26-year-old came on as a sub to replace Thabiso Monyane and had a good game whose success he credited to the club’s unity.
Shandu continued: “I always have to be switched on and be ready for whenever I am needed.
“We had to make sure that today [Saturday] we got our joy back because all of us felt the defeat [against Kaizer Chiefs] last week.
He said the hard work that they put in and teamwork and camaraderie was a demonstration of the calibre of players they were.
“We got all the support from the top to the technical team and each other and we just have this brotherhood, which you just see every game.
“This demonstrates how close we are and how much we want to win and it showed today,” said Shandu.*