Will Bucs’ savvy signings ready them for the Brazilians?
While Orlando Pirates deserve applause for its savvy signings before the Premier Soccer League (PSL) transfer window closed on Thursday, the jury is still out on whether the new additions can help the Buccaneers lift the title from Mamelodi Sundowns in the 2022/23 campaign.
Pirates brought back their former striker Kermit Erasmus from Sundowns, and signed attacking midfielder Ndabayithethwa Ndlondlo from Marumo Gallants and Chippa United goalkeeper Sipho Chaine on Thursday.
The trio add to Bucs’ five big signings before the start of the season: defenders Thapelo Xoli, Nkosinathi Sibisi, midfielder Miguel Timm and strikers Eva Nga and Evidence Makgopa.
With José Riveiro’s team struggling to find goals in their first eight league matches, the signing of the well-travelled Erasmus, 32, was no surprise as the Gqeberha-born marksman had a good spell with Pirates between 2013 and 2016.
Diminutive Ndlondlo, 27, is a dynamic attacking midfielder capable of creating and scoring goals for Bucs, who managed to score just six goals in their opening eight matches in the Premiership, where Nga and Zakhele Lepasa, the strikers Bucs have used most, contributed three league goals between them.
Assessing how far Bucs are from the level of Sundowns, who won the league title five times in a row, will start at the Orlando Stadium on Saturday where Pirates host the Brazilians in the first leg of the MTN8 semifinal.
Kaizer Chiefs and AmaZulu FC, who both didn’t sign any new players this week, will meet in their semifinal at the FNB Stadium on Sunday.
Sundowns, who added Bafana Bafana’s No 1 goalkeeper Ronwen Williams, Moroccan defender Abdelmounaim Boutouil and Terrence Mashego, midfielders Bongani Zungu and Sipho Mbule and attackers Marcelo Allende and Abubeker Nasir to their squad, look an even stronger team. There’s no surprise they’re on top of the premiership, five points separating them from Bucs after nine outings.
Saturday’s game might have come too early for Erasmus to be considered having not featured at Sundowns yet this season before his release on a free transfer on Thursday.
Ndlondlo will, however, have a stronger chance to force his way into Riveiro’s starting XI with Bucs unable to capitalise on their many clear-cut chances this season.
Though there was joy for Chiefs’ fans when their new Burundian striker Caleb Bimenyimana scored a brace in their 2-1 win over SuperSport United, some will still be disappointed that the club didn’t acquire more strikers this week.
Bimenyimana is yet to fully convince, and with other Chiefs forwards Ashley du Preez and Khama Billiat, who have been prone to injuries and have been firing few goals, it was expected that Arthur Zwane would add a player or two.
What might favour Chiefs going to the two semifinal games against AmaZulu are talks about Usuthu coach Brandon Truter, who is said to be on borrowed time, with his team lacking consistency in the league.
Former Pirates co-coach Fadlu Davids has been mentioned as a replacement for Truter if Usuthu’s results do not improve in coming weeks.