There is no doubt that Orlando Pirates’ clean sweep in the PSL monthly awards this week capped what has been a remarkable month for a side that was ranked outside the top half of the Absa Premiership not so long ago.
Bucs head coach Josef Zinnbauer and striker Gabadinho Mhango deservedly walked away with January’s Absa Premiership coach and player of the month awards, respectively.
The revival of Pirates, who were 11th on the Premiership log when Zinnbauer took over from caretaker Rhulani Mokwena in December, has largely been because of these two.
Prior to the awards handover at the PSL offices on Thursday, Bucs midfielder Luvuyo Memela was voted man of the match in Pirates’ match against Bidvest Wits in the Nedbank Cup last weekend.
The 32-year-old midfielder created all three goals in Bucs’ comeback, even though his team lost on penalties after a 3-all stalemate at Orlando Stadium on Sunday.
The performance by Memela brought to the fore the impact he has had on the team over the past few weeks, made all the more striking since he hadn’t featured much under Mokwena.
Pirates’ league clash against Black Leopards yesterday, which the Bucs won 1-0, would have prompted some good memories for Zinnbauer, Mhango and Memela.
It was in a match in December, against the same opponent, that the German coach made his PSL debut, Mhango started his scoring spree and Memela marked his return to the team after not featuring in six matches.
Since then, Pirates remain unbeaten in the league under Zinnbauer, who guided the team to four straight wins last month. This shot Bucs to second place on the table before this weekend’s round of matches.
And what a game it was at the packed Thohoyandou Stadium on Sunday. It all came down to a Thabiso Mokoena own goal in added time that handed the Buccaneers the three points.
The close call could have been down to the information gathered by their former captain Thabo Matlaba.
Matlaba, who is now the captain of Leopards, spent a great deal of his time at Pirates before he relocated to Limpopo in July.
The 32-year-old has made some interesting observations about his former club.
“What has changed for Pirates is their ability to convert their chances into goals. Their coach is also the players’ coach. It shows in how they play freely with positional interplay,” he said.
“Memela has been key. He’s a quality player and of course I know his strength. He’s very good with the ball at his feet.
“As for his weakness, I can’t share that before the game because it’s all part of our planning,” chuckled Matlaba, who has also been an inspirational figure for his struggling side.
Leopards are fighting for survival, but Matlaba maintains there is hope. The experienced defender also believes strongly in the team’s little-known coach, Alan Clark.
The young mentor, who had been assistant coach all along, won his first game a fortnight ago after he took over from Cavin Johnson in the hot seat as caretaker coach last month.
“We have a good coach who is so good at analysing the opponents,” warned Matlaba ahead of the game at Thohoyandou Stadium yesterday.
He said his side had gained momentum since their 1-1 draw against leaders Kaizer Chiefs in Venda last month.
“Since then, it’s been a good journey for us, even though we lost against Cape Town City despite playing well.”
Leopards scored only their fifth win of the campaign when they beat Stellenbosch FC 2-1 at home a fortnight ago.
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