ORLANDO PIRATES
THEIR SEASON SO FAR
The club’s good run in the CAF Confederation Cup made their dismal performance in the Premiership bearable. But now that that campaign has ended, after they lost to Etoile du Sahel in the final, the Buccaneers have to start their fight to climb up the standings from 11th place.
WHAT THEY DID RIGHT
There are a few things that the outfit has done right in the league – the Confederation Cup their only saving grace. Thabo Rakhale, Thamsanqa Gabuza, Ntsikelelo Nyauza, Menzi Masuku and Brighton Mhlongo are among the players who grew because of their African sojourn.
WHERE THEY FLOPPED
One of the club’s biggest problems was their failure to juggle their continental and domestic obligations. Despite having a big squad, coach Eric Tinkler used around 18 players continuously, side-lining many who weren’t registered in the Confederation Cup. That’s why the likes of Tsepo Gumede and Edwin Gyimah look out of place whenever they’ve been given a chance. If Tinkler had managed the squad better, those who didn’t do continental duty could have carried the team. For a proud team like Pirates, nothing would be more disappointing than being closer to the bottom of the log than to the chasing pack. They owe that to being terrible at turning around from impressive performances. After dismantling Al-Ahly in Suez, they struggled against a poor AmaTuks. In this manner they’ve lost to Wits, Arrows, Celtic and SuperSport.
STAR PERFORMER
Rakhale, pictured, has grown from just a ball juggler to a smart player who breaks down opponents with his skills but also has enough in the tank to help out defensively.
REQUIRED TRANSFER ACTIVITY
It’s not so much who the club needs to buy but who they need to give a chance to. Their defence is an ageing one. Yet, in Nyauza and Gumede the club has defenders who can change that. They need to find a playmaker, they have missed that a lot in the absence of captain Oupa Manyisa.
REST OF THE SEASON OUTLOOK
The Bucs have a proud record, having never finished outside the top eight in the PSL era. It’s not so much the points (15 points behind the log leaders with two games in hand) that has eliminated them from the Premiership but their meek response. A top three finish would be an achievement. –