There were five Bafana caps in the Pirates matchday squad which delivered a masterclass performance on Saturday. This would have been hard to swallow for the hopeful Cape Town City coach Eric Tinkler. After his side’s 2-0 pasting there was no sign of Tinkler at the post-presser.
In the absence of an official explanation from City, it can be assumed that Tinkler was distraught after standing by helplessly and watching Pirates rub his team’s noses in the lush Orlando Stadium turf. The Pirates coach felt his team delivered an “excellent performance” in front of a packed stadium.
Thalente Mbatha was a boss in the midfield and is growing in stature with every outing. He looks like he’ll be the rock on which Pirates will be building a championship combination this season.
He can be relied on to produce the goods on defence and attack. Recently, Broos said that Mbatha was the kind of player he was looking for, and it seems his play is thriving because of Broos’s admiration.
Broos recently summed up Mbatha’s performance: “He’s not running like a fool in front. What I’ve seen from him tactically, he knows what he has to do.”
He played the entire game on Saturday, as did the team’s three other Bafana caps, Patrick Maswanganyi, Relebogile Mofokeng and Sipho Chaine. The fifth national squad cap Nkosinathi Sibisi was an unused substitute on Saturday.
Goalkeeper Chaine produced a clean sheet and was called on to make an early save which he did well. Had he failed it could have changed the complexion of the match. His performances between the sticks have been inspiring, especially when his team is not dominating.
The teen sensation Mofokeng dazzled with his ability to work his way past the defence. The 19-year-old Mofokeng’s rise has been nothing short of phenomenal, coming months after he made his Pirates debut in the club’s DStv Diski Challenge set-up.
He is destined to make an impact in continental football and will be one Bafana’s future stars.
Maswanganyi has started to show the benefits of his early years as a professional footballer in Portugal, where he turned out for UD Oliveirense and Académica OAF. His popularity as a fan-favourite is on the up. He is mindful of the No 10 on the back of his jersey which stirs memories of legends like Jomo Sono and Steve Lekoelea.
More good news for South African fans is that out-of-favour Bafana striker Bongokuhle Hlongwane scored twice in Minnesota United’s narrow 2-1 victory over San Jose Earthquakes in Major Soccer League on Saturday evening.
In Europe, former SuperSport United forward Shandre Campbell made headlines with a brilliant goal in Club Brugge’s reserve team’s 2-2 draw against Patro Eisden. The 19-year-old recently completed a historic transfer to the Belgian champions.