When Orlando Pirates announced their starting line-up for the Betway Premiership clash against Mamelodi Sundowns, there was one thing that immediately stood out.
In midfield, Makhehlene Makhaula was partnered by Kabelo Dlamini, in the absence of the injured Thalente Mbatha. Without a hard grafting midfielder playing alongside Makhaula, it was always going to be difficult for the Buccaneers to contain the runs of Lucas Ribeiro Costa through the middle. Sundowns had a lot of space in midfield to get forward and score their goals.
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As things stand, Miguel Timm has not been breaking into the midfield and Selaelo Rasebotja has not really established himself as one of coach Jose Riveiro's best options in the middle of the park.
Should Pirates have gone into the market in January to sign a few players? They certainly should have. It was the perfect opportunity for the club to add a couple of new faces to ensure they have enough in their arsenal to go all the way with Sundowns in the race for the Premiership and CAF Champions League titles.
But, with so much happening at Pirates within the squad, they could find themselves struggling to keep up with the schedule and the demands of having to consistently deliver at a high level in their matches.
Let's have a look at the situation at a deeper level. Thabiso Sesane is expected to be out for some time, Monnapule Saleng is in limbo, Olisa Ndah has been working his way back to full recovery and Mbatha is currently out. Patrick Maswanganyi hasn't been at his best and Mohau Nkota is currently not delivering at the level he was towards the end of 2024.
Bucs let go of Sandile Mthethwa, Gilberto and Katlego Otladisa, but brought no one in to replace them.
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There are injuries, suspensions and loss of form. The January transfer window was the perfect opportunity to add to the squad, but they did not take advantage of the situation and only time will tell if they have enough to win one of the Premiership or Champions League.
To compete with a club like Sundowns, Pirates need to keep refreshing the squad and making sure they have players who are always ready to come in and deliver, which is usually the case at Sundowns.
