Dear
Irvin “Iron Duke” Khoza,
I
hope this letter finds you well. I am not well. Tears came to my eyes as I read
news of the imminent departure of the Orlando Pirates spine in the engine room Onyekachi
"Tico" Okonkwo and also the promising goal poacher Takesure
“Chisanyama” Chinyama.
I am not exactly certain whether I was crying for Okonkwo or Chinyama or for myself or for our beloved Orlando Pirates or for you in particular. I was probably crying for all those things and more. Everywhere I go people are shaking their heads in disbelief. “What has gone wrong with Iron Duke?” they ask.
I am not exactly certain whether I was crying for Okonkwo or Chinyama or for myself or for our beloved Orlando Pirates or for you in particular. I was probably crying for all those things and more. Everywhere I go people are shaking their heads in disbelief. “What has gone wrong with Iron Duke?” they ask.
You
see, Iron Duke, the foundations of Orlando Pirates championship reputation have never been shakier and the famous Pirates style of play with high
tempo never more compromised as it is
under Roger de Sa (RDS). RDS has single – handedly taken Orlando Pirates to its
most perilous drought moment after failed to defend any championship accolades
last season.
RDS
has become a god unto himself, accountable to nobody in particular but himself.
He forced Benni McCarthy to retire early; he conspired with his assistants to
sabotaged Tlou Segolela career at Pirates and punishes those who stand in his
way out of the starting eleven. Now the ship is sinking but you’re still happy
with RDS pushing the team down the drain despite so much at stake.
Pirates
is slowly but surely going to the gutters under the guidance of careless RDS. You
were so brave when you fired Julio Leal and showing Rudi Krol a door, but now
you are shying away to take a right decision against one man, RDS. I guess, the
soon to be up for grab the
South African Football Association (SAFA) presidency hot seat has deviated your attention
from the team to fulfill your personal desire. Walls have eyes, Mr. Chairman.
Now
I want to unequivocal address another sensitive sombre issue demeaning and
devaluing Pirates as the best megabrand in South African football due to your
scrawny or frail players retention, recruitment and transfer policy. It is
disheartening to witness the recurring trend of recruiting players on free
transfers who are adding numbers instead of championship values in the team.
Last year, you never worried yourself to bolster the team with the recruitment
of quality players which resulted in an unproductive season without any silverware.
We
had disastrous and unimpressive season but even now we are still embarking on
the same route of recruiting players on free transfer. Now you released Chinyama
but astonishingly you recently recruited an ageing striker Lennox Bacela with
the average and poorest striking rate of 15.1% (21 goals, 79 games). What for Mr.
Iron Duke?
It
is an international trend for big teams to sign quality players to bolster
their championship reputation but when it comes to your team, only the players
on free transfer are given first priority to quality players. Mara why?
What
happened to Vodacom millions injected to the team? What happened to the treble
success money collected by the team as you boldly stated that Pirates doesn’t
give bonuses to players after winning any silverware as they are monthly paid
to win the silverwares?
I
am writing this letter to you Iron Duke as our last hope, our only messiah (no
Blasphemy intended). You cannot watch silently while our beloved team is slowly
but surely becoming mediocre team comprised of quantity instead of quality of players.
Your Recruitment and transfer policy is deliberately pulling apart everything
that your team achieved in the past 2 seasons (2010/2011 and 2011 and 2012).
Outside
your office, Orlando Pirates supporters are calling the following names Khama
Billiant, Kermit Erasmus, Rainford Kalaba, Sibusiso Vilakazi, Mogakolodi Ngele,
Mahatma Otto (Hearts of Oak, Ghana) and Mohammed Awal. If you respond to their
name-dropping, I swear, I’m going to shut-up about your treasured team.
By Owen ''Chairman'' Mundalamo
Twitter: @shudulizah
