Orlando Pirates have a storied tradition of elevating young talents from their development squads to the senior team, a practice that has seen many become household names. Lucas Thwala, a former Orlando Pirates defender who himself ascended through the club's junior ranks, advocates for the continuation and expansion of this approach.
In an exclusive interview with Soccer Laduma, the Mpumalanga-based youth coach emphasized the significance of integrating more young players into the first team.
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"It's very true the team is doing very well. And they are able to compete with any team. But I think if they can promote more youngsters it would be great for the team. You know the club's culture starts at the youth level and when they are promoted they carry on with that culture and attract more supporters to the stadium. Look at what the team used to do in the past. They promoted a lot of youngsters who made names for themselves at the club and helped the club gain recognition as well. It's very important to invest in your own youth," the former Bafana Bafana defender told the Siya crew.
The legacy of promoting young talent at Orlando Pirates is rich, with players like the late Gift Leremi, the late Senzo Meyiwa, Benedict Vilakazi, Lebogang Mokoena, Oupa Manyisa, Brighton Mhlongo, Phumudzo Manenzhe, and current DDC Head coach Joseph Makhanya, among others, having risen through the ranks to make significant impacts.
Thwala also highlighted the importance of blending these young talents with experienced signings from other clubs.
"Look at Relebohile (Mofokeng). He is doing very well. If we can have three or four like him from the youth mixed with players like Patrick Maswanganyi and others then you know that the future of the club is great. If you have a good mixture of youngsters and experience then you know you are well balanced to fight with any team and fight for silverware as well. That's all you need," Thwala, who was part of the 2010 Fifa World Cup squad and started in the game against Mexico, concluded.
Thwala's insights offer a blueprint for Pirates' future success, emphasizing the dual strategy of nurturing homegrown talent while strategically incorporating seasoned players to create a balanced and competitive squad capable of achieving greatness.
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