Publications
Partners
Your sports column, Pirates and Chiefs do not belong with the also-rans (City Press, May 7 2017) bears reference.
Mr Mseleku, after reading that article, I was grateful and it was so heart-warming that what I have always been engaging Orlando Pirates executives and writing to them about is now in the public domain. I have no doubt that a lot of supporters agree with the great deal of consternation caused by the crisis in their respective teams.
You were spot on. You mentioned facts in that article. The two teams’ executives are too comfortable. As for Pirates, I have called the office, and spoke to Floyd Mbele, who, I must add, is not a kind official to talk to. I wrote to Dr Irvin Khoza, through the email of a gentleman named Darryl (a finance official), on December 5 2014. I also wrote to Mr Mbele on April 15 2015. I didn’t get any response, let alone an acknowledgment.
The gist of my written communique was that Pirates must not:
. Employ coaches who have been fired and are unemployed;
. Employ a coach because he is cheap or affordable;
. Employ a coach who is happy to just be in the top eight;
. Employ an average coach who is not Pirates material. All those who came after Ruud Krol fall into this category; and
. Continue with the current talent scouts as they have been signing bad players without the approval of incumbent coaches. As a result, these players end up warming the bench.
A number of quality, experienced players such as Sifiso Myeni, Daine Klate, Menzi Masuku, Tshepo Gumede and Aubrey Ngoma should have been utilised more.
Pirates’ Achilles heel is the goalkeeping department and I suggest they sign Wayne Sandilands. That area was left wanting by the sudden death of the great Senzo Meyiwa (may his soul rest in peace).
Local coaches have been given a chance and they failed. Pirates should look at somebody like Hristo Stoichkov, or even re-employ Krol.
The chairman needs to understand that the following is humiliating for us supporters:
. Seeing small teams finish above Pirates on the log;
. Hearing our head coaches say before a game that we are going to try to win against a “big team”, referring to Bidvest Wits or SuperSport United;
. Seeing him employ average foreign coaches such as the current Swedish coach Kjell Jonevret, whose profile is worrying to us;
. Hearing a coach say he has not been given a mandate to win the league and other trophies, and go to compete in Africa;
. Watching players dish out the kind of football that says they are playing to avoid being walloped 6-0; and
. That Pirates do not have at least one player from the 1995 CAF Champions League-winning squad in their current technical team.
Therefore, my recommendations are that Pirates:
. Get Krol or Stoichkov as a matter of urgency;
. Sign Sandilands, Kennedy Mweene or another goalkeeper in the mould of Patson Banda or Williams Okpara;
. Mbele and Stanley Tshabalala be removed from the technical team; and
. Invite legends such as Johannes “Yster” Khomane, Bashin Mahlangu, Jerry Skhosana, Gavin Lane and Bernard “Shoes” Lushozi to speak to the current crop of players on the importance of the Pirates badge and club culture.
Mashilo wa Ranamane, Tshwane (a diehard Buccaneer since 1964)
