ORLANDO Pirates captain Nkosinathi Sibisi is excited about the energy brought about by new signings at the club, which is on a mission to do no less than defend their treble this season.
Pirates opened on a positive note, taking three points from new boys Milford FC on the opening day, and they will be looking to go past Nedbank Cup champions Durban City in the quarter-finals of the MTN8 at Orlando Stadium on Saturday afternoon. Kick-off is at 3pm.
The Buccaneers will again be competing for every piece of silverware on offer this season, and that is reflected in the moves they made in the transfer market with no fewer than eight signings.
These include Sebastian Pedersen from Norway, Mthetheleli Mthiyane and Sihle Nduli from Stellenbosch, Sbangani Zulu and Nkosikhona Ndaba from Richards Bay, Tshepo Mashiloane and Kabelo Kgositsile from Baroka, Bohlale Ngwato, and Ghampani Lungu.
“Yes, we have a lot of signings, a lot of young players. I think you can see the direction the team is going, trying to refresh the squad as much as possible,” reflected Sibisi during the MTN8 press conference ahead of the quarter-finals this weekend.
“I think we need that energy going forward since there are many competitions that we are playing. I think we are playing five or six competitions this season.”
There is no question that Pirates will be targeting both continental glory in the Champions League and the domestic league title, which they will want to back up by defending their treble in the process — meaning they will be going all out in the MTN8, one of the cups they won last season.
“We will need everyone because in previous seasons we’ve seen that it is not the guys who start that finish the season. Sometimes it is the guys who start in the stands that finish the season. So everyone is important at the club,” said the central defender.
Squad management should be another priority at Pirates, considering that Sibisi led more than a handful of his team-mates into Bafana Bafana’s World Cup squad that finished in the Round of 32 last month.
“It’s been a tough pre-season, a tough four weeks for us since coming back from the World Cup. Tough conditions against difficult opponents,” the skipper said, reflecting on their promising recent pre-season tour of Spain.
“But at the end of the day, the boys prepared themselves quite well for the new season, and what better way to start than with three points at home.”
