A lot is being said about Orlando Pirates and their chances of challenging Mamelodi Sundowns for the league title this season after some impressive displays by the side.
Although they lost their first game of the season against Stellenbosch FC, the Buccaneers recovered well and have showed some improvement in their last two matches against Royal AM and Sekhukhune United in the league and MTN8 respectively.
The Soweto giants have been praised for signing good during the transfer window as the likes if Patrick Maswanganyi and Katlego Otladisa have appeared to fit in the system quickly.
Having finished second to Downs in the DStv Premiership last season, Bucs are expected to be ready to give the champions a run for their money this season and former midfielder Bennett Chenene agrees.
The Good
"Pirates are very good this season and I have been impressed with the team. There are a lot of positives to take and I just hope that the team can be consistent. It is still early to say who the winners of the league will be but Pirates will definitely compete and that one I am confident about. The way this Pirates team play, they remind me of former stars like (Benedict) Vilakazi and (Joseph) Makhanya. Pirates aren't just scoring the goals, they play pretty football as well. As they say, the best way of defending is to attack and Pirates are doing exactly that. I can't not be happy when my former team is scoring five goals to beat opponents, that's impressive stuff," said Chenene.
On the rise of Relebohile Mofokeng
"You see Relebohile Mofokeng, I know him as a kid because he is from my neighbourhood and I am friends with his father. The boy's father and me are the same age and there is a lot that we did and still do together because we are very close. I used to buy soccer boots for the boy from when he was still with the School of Excellence and I am not surprised by his rise to stardom because he showed potential from a very young age and we could tell that a star had been born," he said.
The Bad
"My only concern based on my observation is about (Monnapule) Saleng and selfishness. I like him so much make no mistake, but I think he tends to be selfish at times. He tends to hold onto the ball too much even in moments where I think passing fast would have been a better option. That's one element of his game that is boring for me but he can improve. I am saying this because I like him and the club but we can't be sugarcoating things just because of the love and sometimes we have to tell things as they are. Sometimes he tries too much to score even if it seems impossible to do so when a pass to a teammate would have been a better option. Overall, I'm happy about his performance and that of Pirates as a team," Chenene added.
The Ugly
"When analysing the game, we shouldn't say the opposite of what we should be saying just because we want to appear good to people and our former clubs as that won't make our football to grow. That's like killing the same team you claim to love. The most important thing is to say the things you see the way you see them and that's your observation and opinion. Obviously, as human beings we can't see things the same way. But the moment we tell the truth on issues, people complain to say former players and legends are jealous and so on. We are talking about football here and every team has strong points and weaknesses, and even Sundowns as good as they are, they have weaknesses," he concluded.
Do you agree with Chenene on Saleng?
