Musician 'Touchline' has shared with Soccer Laduma how his love for Orlando Pirates developed, as he spoke glowingly about how the days of Kosta Papic touched him.
The Siya crew got in touch with the musician who spoke about what he thinks of the coming season, which promises to be a good one, if the last one is anything to go by.
How do you feel ahead of the 2023/24 season, especially after Pirates won the MTN8 and Nedbank Cup in the last campaign?
It was promising but at the same time it does look like there is a lot of work to be done. I feel like we don't have the team to compete with Sundowns just yet and really no team in the PSL does. I feel like we need a little bit more firepower to compete with whatever is happening there at Chloorkop. Even though Pirates two cups, it's still risky to rely on cups because you can get knocked out. Shoutout to the boys for winning the cups, but the real consistency happens in the league. Let me give you an example of what I am saying. Sundowns can win the league five times in a row, but no team wins the Nedbank Cup three times in a row. That's how touch-and-go it is. So that's why I say we need the consistency so that we can start competing with Sundowns. Maybe we can replicate the past season, but we need to do a little more.
Looking at the pre-season tour to Spain, do you think it's a good idea for the Buccaneers to go to Europe or should they have maybe gone to one of the African countries to prepare themselves for the CAF Champions League?
That's a good question. When you make them play against the Spanish guys, it's almost like they are going on a school trip. They will want to show that they can compete, however you won't be playing against Spanish teams. I feel that playing against African teams might have been better. However, I do think playing against guys who are technically better at this football thing will also give the guys something to think about when they come back home. Maybe it will give guys like (Monnapule) Saleng, who are hard workers, a chance to be technically better. It might give them something to work towards.
What are the chances of Pirates going far in the Champions League in the coming season?
I think Pirates has pedigree. If you remember we've been to (three CAF) finals in recent years. We got to the final under Roger de Sa (in 2013) and Eric Tinkler (in 2015). Pirates was really dominant during those times and even Al Ahly was struggling and they eventually beat us in the final. We definitely have the ability, but I know the personnel is completely different from that era. We need these guys to have the consistency.
Moving on...talk to us about how and when you started supporting Pirates.
It was inherited, since I was a kid. I inherited it from my dad. He was a Buccaneer. If I go back, I remember Jerry Sikhosana, Mark Fish...I remember the Bobsave (Super Bowl), the Iwisa Spectacular and the SAA8. I remember Williams Okpara. I remember those times. Obviously, I was still very young when they won the Champions League (in 1995), but after that I started opening my mind to football. But it wasn't really until the 2000s that I really started taking note, when the likes of Steve Lekoelea and Lesley Manyathela were around. That's when I had a proper memory. My favourite time being a Pirates supporter, which is also weird because we did not win anything, was during the Kosta Papic era. I think that's everybody's favourite time because the football was like what we see from Sundowns now. It's just that Sundowns gets the results. There was Gift Leremi, 'Tso' Vilakazi, Joseph Makhanya, Lelo Mbele, 'Cheeseboy' Mokoena, (Isaac) Chansa. I remember on the final day of the season, we were playing Bush Bucks and we were supposed to win by like five or six goals (to win the league). That's when I used to get emotional. I remember that day because I cried. Pirates were unplayable at the time, but the problem is that we weren't converting (chances).
Who is your all-time favourite Pirates player?
It's Oupa Manyisa. He is one guy I did not see losing the ball. His football brain was out of this world. He never held the ball for too long. He knew when to release and to get into the right space. Teko (Modise) comes close, but he was there for a short time.
