The Sunday News
WHILE Kaizer Chiefs may have stolen the headlines with the signing of Siyanda Xulu, Orlando Pirates have trumped their rivals for volume.
Irvin Khoza has brought in five new faces so far this off-season as he looks to improve the first team, freshen up the squad and bolster Bucs’ options heading into the new campaign.
The Soweto giants finished last season a whopping 19 points behind Amakhosi, and will be seeking to close the gap and overhaul their eternal rivals over the coming 12 months.
While the Orlando Stadium heavyweights will surely make more additions to their squad before the new domestic season begins, the arriving five represent a fine start to their off-season business.
Here’s why the players signed could prove to be valuable commodities for the four-time PSL champions.
Tendai Ndoro
Of Pirates’ five new additions, it is perhaps Tendai Ndoro who excites me the most.
The forward has demonstrated that he can find the net in the PSL — even if seven goals in 25 appearances for Mpumalanga Black Aces isn’t the greatest return, but I see his true value as lying elsewhere.
The powerful Ndoro could prove to be a superb foil for the likes of Kermit Erasmus and Lehlohonolo Majoro, particularly if Thamsanqa Gabuza leaves the club. Lennox Bacela is another option for Eric Tinkler, who is clearly keen to give himself a broad spectrum of offensive options for the rigours of domestic and continental competitions to come.
The new Bafana Bafana striker demonstrated how effective a more physical option can be alongside the mobile duo of Majoro and Erasmus, and I expect Ndoro to have a similar effect, particularly if he is allowed licence to roam deeper as well as disrupt opposition defences with his work-rate and upper-body strength.
Could the Zimbabwe forward help these two South African strikers rediscover their top form over the coming 12 months?
Gift Motupa
The true value of the acquisition of Gift Motupa is unlikely to be realised during the 2015-16 season.
Despite already being a Bafana Bafana player — the midfielder made his debut in the draw with Lesotho in May — the ex-Baroka FC man is only 20, and may not be expected to contribute to the first team immediately.
However, what Motupa’s signing does represent is an investment in Pirates’ future. The midfielder should be allowed to progress and develop away from the limelight, and will be afforded time to acclimatise to the rarefied surroundings of the Orlando Stadium.
Over the coming five years, however, expect the youngster’s well-rounded midfield abilities, his sharp passing and ferocious shot, to make a big impact on the Bucs faithful.
I am particularly keen to see the effect that a figure such as Oupa Manyisa, another solid central midfielder, who has an eye for a pass and the ability to break up opposition attacks, could have on Motupa. Hopefully, the youngster will improve enormously due to the exposure he receives to teammates such as Manyisa on a day-to-day basis.
Felipe Ovono
As explored in a recent feature with Goal South Africa, Ovono is one of the brightest young stoppers in Africa, and looks like an excellent recruit for Bucs.
At only 21, he remains raw, and his physical presence in the box and in-game maturity will both need to improve, at least from how they were during the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations, when he was one of the hosts’ stars.
However, he boasts magnificent agility and shot-stopping ability, while his reading of the game and his desire to take responsibility are terrific for one so young. Could he prove to be the long-term successor to Senzo Meyiwa?
Surely Chiefs, who have seen Itumeleng Khune depart this summer, would have done well to make a move for the Equatoguinean stopper.
Luvuyo Memela
Back in 2013, Amigo Luvoyo Memela was passed over by Moroka Swallows, with the Dube Birds deciding to look elsewhere for their offensive options.
Two years later, Memela — now 27 — has the opportunity to demonstrate that Zeca Marques was wrong to reject him.
The ex-Cape Town All Stars man is a more complete attacker than he was two years ago, but it’s not immediately evident to see where he fits in for Bucs. Indeed, Memela’s arrival is perhaps the signing that I am least inspired about, with Pirates — who sometimes only use one striker — currently well-stocked for forwards.
Thembinkosi Lorch
Thembinkosi Lorch arrived from Maluti FET College, and ought to provide competition for the wide positions. He is a versatile operator who is comfortable on either flank.
At 21, he is at a slightly more advanced stage of his development than the afore-mentioned Motupa, but has similarly been signed to a long-term deal in the hope that he will progress and grow into being a bona fide Bucs winger.
Pirates fans shouldn’t expect an immediate impact, however, as after all, the player is coming off the back of a campaign in which he was relegated from the National First Division. From the bottom of the second tier to the top of the first is an enormous leap for even the most seasoned of players, let alone a young talent taking his nascent steps in the game.
Encouragement can be found in the way that Lorch dealt with the adversity of the 2014-15 campaign, and while those around him floundered, he managed to preserve a certain level of consistency and was regularly lauded for his dazzling wide play.
If he can achieve this in a struggling team, there’s no telling what he is capable of in a side who so regularly put opponents on the backfoot. – Goalcom.
