Abdoulaye Mariko, Deon Hotto and Sipho Mbule are the only players, in the current Orlando Pirates squad, who have previously won league titles at other clubs.
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Orlando Pirates continue to mirror the vision, philosophy and policy of the club, but their ambition to dominate across the board has left little to chance both on and off the pitch.
They assembled a strong squad this season and made it count, winning a cup double – the MTN8 and Carling Knockout – while remaining in contention for the Betway Premiership title.
However, despite the excitement around the new signings, only Sipho Mbule and Abdoulaye Mariko have previously won league titles at other clubs, bringing experience alongside veteran Deon Hotto.
That lack of title-winning experience has recently been exposed, with Pirates dropping crucial points at home to Siwelele and away to Richards Bay respectively.
Those slip-ups left visible frustration on the faces of the technical team and players, as their fate slipped out of their hands and Mamelodi Sundowns regained the advantage with games in hand in the final stretch of the season.
Sundowns, chasing a record-extending ninth consecutive title, are expected to maintain their dominance, potentially extending Pirates’ 14-year wait for league glory.
Speaking during the pre-match media briefing at Rand Stadium this week ahead of the Soweto derby against Kaizer Chiefs at FNB Stadium on Sunday afternoon , assistant coach Mandla Ncikazi suggested that winning the league has not been overly emphasised internally.
“I think in our team meetings there hasn’t been a major emphasis on how important it is to win the league. That raises a bigger question about whether the club’s policy has the capacity to win the league. I don’t know whether I am best placed to answer that,” Ncikazi said.
“But with the team that we have, which has beaten almost all the teams, I don’t think the policy has anything to do with the players. If they can score 50 goals with five games to go, surpassing a club record of 52, then I don’t think the question is suitable.”
Despite recent setbacks, Pirates have shown clear progress. Young talents such as Relebohile Mofokeng have stepped up impressively, with him and new signing Oswin Appollis expected to challenge for end-of-season awards.
“For us, it’s really about winning matches, scoring goals and defending well,” Ncikazi added.
“Sipho (Chaine) has continued keeping clean sheets and breaking records. I don’t think the policy has anything to do with winning or losing the league.”
Pirates have fallen short in the title race over the last three seasons, finishing as runners-up to Sundowns, and expectations were high that they would finally reclaim the title this season.
Those ambitions have taken a knock following recent draws against Siwelele and Richards Bay, but Ncikazi insists the team is not giving up.
“No one wants to be number two,” he said. “But we work based on the plan that the club has – remember the gap before, and the gap now. We don’t only look at winning the league, but also at the progress within the club.”
“We would like to finish on top, and we’ll continue fighting to do so. There has been a lot of improvement in terms of signings and everything else. I still see us finishing top.”
Pirates’ push to keep their title hopes alive continues in the Soweto derby against Chiefs at the Calabash.
They head into the clash as favourites, having won the last five league derbies, including the reverse fixture this season. Ncikazi credited the technical team’s role in preparing the squad mentally for such high-pressure matches.
“The role of the technical team is very important. Players draw their energy from how you approach the match. If you show fear, they will be fearful,” Ncikazi said.
“Ouaddou, with respect, has a strong personality. I like his personality – he doesn’t show fear. I’ve never seen or felt him being fearful.”