Orlando Pirates coach Jose Riveiro has expressed excitement about the growth of midfielder Thalente Mbatha within the Sea Robbers’ ship.
Despite only joining the Buccaneers in January from SuperSport United on a loan deal, Mbatha has fitted in like a hand into a glove at the Soweto giants.
The exciting midfielder has managed to break into Pirates’ tough pack of pivots as he has made at least 10 appearances in all competitions.
The 24-year-old topped his time at Pirates by scoring his first goal when the Buccaneers demolished Royal AM by 4-0 in a DStv Premiership match at Harry Gwala Stadium in Pietermaritzburg on Sunday.
With Miguel Timm out on suspension, Riveiro started Mbatha alongside Makhehlene Makhaula in the centre of the park against Royal.
The coach was full of praise for the midfielder who had surprisingly fallen off the radar at SuperSport.
“He is growing within the group, within the team. He is a player with some interesting capacities to help us play forward and move quickly in the progression phases,” said Riveiro.
“We would like to see him growing as a player, as an individual but I’m reminding you that he is surrounded by excellent players as well.
“That also helps him to play with the confidence that he is showing.”
Pirates secured the player’s services on loan with an option to make the deal permanent at the end of the current campaign.
READ: Thalente Mbatha hopes to make his stay with Orlando Pirates permanent
Though Riveiro has refused to divulge if the club will exercise the option to buy, the rumour mill has it that the Pirates have decided to keep him.
“This is probably not the space to talk about that so far, he is a player within our group and I don’t see him as a player who is on loan. He is a player in our arsenal and we are going to use him as best as we can,” said Riveiro.
“He is a talented player with a big future.”
Pirates will hope to continue with their fine form, especially in front of goal, when they travel to Cape Town City for a league clash at Cape Town Stadium on Wednesday at 15:00.
Riveiro’s men have scored a whopping 17 goals in the last five outings in all competitions.
Orlando Pirates head coach Jose Riveiro has weighed in on the player of the season debate, and believes Patrick Maswanganyi is a candidate for the big award. He has also touched on Thalente Mbatha’s excellent run with the club!
— SABC Sport (@SABC_Sport) April 29, 2024
📹 #SABCSport’s @NkuleSbuDladla… pic.twitter.com/8moe2jXtPs
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