Former footballer turned pundit, Junior Khanye, has raised concerns over Orlando Pirates’ ability to challenge Mamelodi Sundowns for the DStv Premiership title this season.
Khanye, speaking on iDiskiTV, dissected the team’s recent struggles, questioning coach Jose Riveiro’s tactics and the involvement in player signings.
Despite high expectations for Pirates, who finished second last season and displayed success in domestic cups, their league performances have been surprisingly lacklustre. A notable setback was the recent goalless draw against Richards Bay, leaving them in ninth place with 16 points from 11 matches, trailing Sundowns by eight points, albeit with three fewer games played.
Khanye expressed disappointment, stating, “Both teams coming into the match, one didn’t show that they are fighting relegation, while Pirates hasn’t been doing very well compared to Mamelodi Sundowns, who they are supposed to challenge.”
No hunger, no desire in attack 😳
— GOAL South Africa (@GOALcomSA) November 26, 2023
Lack of leadership ❌
Toothless up front, a striker needed! 🤦🏿♂️
The Ghost are unhappy people 💔
Toothless and uninspired strikers hindering Orlando Pirates' PSL title charge - Time for Jose Riveiro to change things around? 🤔 pic.twitter.com/4T50g4Q3DH
The pundit delved into tactical criticisms, particularly questioning the decision to introduce players from the stands into crucial games. He emphasized the importance of consistency for title contenders, stating, “If you want to challenge Sundowns for the league, if you have 10 games on the table, win nine and at least draw one.”
Khanye also raised concerns about the players’ character, attributing part of the blame to the coaches for questionable decisions. He highlighted the lack of balance in the squad’s signings, noting an excess of central attacking players. This, according to Khanye, has impacted the team’s performance, pointing out positional challenges like playing Karim Kimvuidi on the left in the front three.
“Their squad is not balanced in terms of the signings. They signed so many central attacking players. You could believe they have a big squad but when you look at it now it’s costing them,” Khanye remarked.
He continued to scrutinize specific player roles, stating, “Even Mofokeng (Relebohile) is not a player that plays on the left; he is a player that plays central. But if you take him there and play Kermit (Erasmus) as a number 10, it’s a problem.”
Khanye concluded by raising a significant question, “It shows that the coach runs out of ideas and the question now is did you sign the players yourself or someone did that on your behalf?”
With the next DStv Premiership fixture against TS Galaxy at Orlando Stadium on December 9, Pirates face an uphill battle to rectify their league campaign and prove skeptics wrong.
