Eleven worrying
factors about Orlando Pirates which will impede its chances to win a league and
CAF Champions League.
Orlando
Pirates are at the good position to defend its league championship. However 2
games in hand can't be translated into 6 points as the current team performance
is not impressive with no league win in the whole month of March where the team
drew 4 games and lost 1 game.
In
the CAF Champions League, Pirates is making South Africa proud after winning 4
out of 4 games, scoring 13 goals and only conceded a single goal. However, the African
Safari path is getting tougher as Pirates will face one of the African best
team TP Mazembe who share the same style of play and black and white culture of
Orlando Pirates.
Pirates
is still standing a chance to win the Premier Soccer League (PSL) and also
re-conquer Africa but they are some 11 worrying factors about Pirates which will
impede its chances to win a League and Champions League. The 11 obstacles are:
1.
Lucky Lekgwathi is aging and vulnerable to costing mistakes.
2.
Combination of Lucky Lekgwathi and Ayanda Ngcaba is always suspicious to leak
more goals.
3.
The famous Oupa ‘Ace’ Manyisa and Andile Jali combination is dead and buried.
4.
Onyekachi Okonkwo is the weakest link in the engine room with poor workrate. I
am starting to suspect that his real age is catching up with him.
5.
The wing play is also ineffective with Daine Klate and Tlou Segolela out of
form whilst Khetho Masuku doesn't have an enough engine to play 90 minutes.
6.
The striking force is a disaster with toothless Collins Mbesuma and Takesure
Chinyama failing to score goals.
7.
There striking force lacks enough pace to trouble any defence. The two burly
strikers Collins Mbesuma and Takesure Chinyama are not fitting into Pirates
style of play.
8.
The fast football of Pirates is dead whilst the free flowing football of
knocking the ball around dominating the opponents is now a history. Pirates
players are now giving away the balls cheaply.
9.
The commitment and fighting spirit from players are gone. No more goals in the
dying minutes of the game.
10.
The injuries to key players have contributed to the downfall of the team this
season with key players such as Rooi Mahamutsa, Thandani Ntshumahelo, Sifiso
Myeni and Thulasizwe Mbuyane out with long term injuries.
11.
Moeneeb Josephs and Benni
McCarthy has institutionalised faction conduct to sow division and also to
sabotaged the coach.
With
right fighting spirit and attitude, Pirates stand a chance to rewrite African
soccer history by becoming the only team in Southern Africa obtaining 2 stars
of recognition but it’s going to be a difficult path which requires a lot of
commitment, sacrifices and dedication by players coupled with undivided support
by all Mzansi soccer supporters.
By Owen Mundalamo
Twitter: @shudulizah
