Johannesburg — Bandile Shandu has been a breath of fresh air for Orlando Pirates. He’s been so good that it’s been relatively easy to turn a blind eye to the side's broader problems as their chances of winning a trophy were further trimmed down this week.
On Wednesday, Pirates were knocked out of the Nedbank Cup by Marumo Gallants, and their hopes of winning a trophy now lay solely on the CAF Confederation Cup. They are also behind in the title race as they trail the log leaders by 19 points.
But in the midst of the disappointment at New Peter Mokaba Stadium, Pirates’ knight in shining armour Shandu, had done all he could to try to drag his side closer to the last-eight — only to be denied by the winning penalty-kick of King Ndlovu.
Midfielder Shandu often plays as wing-back. But he’s currently the teams’ top goal scorer with seven goals. Those strikes have came across all competitions, including the equaliser in Polokwane. That’s a huge return for a player that’s in his first term with the team.
Not every player gets to be an instant hit at Pirates — let alone fit in a system that even the co-coaches do not seem to understand at times. They continue to chop and change the spine of the team, confused by the huge talent at their disposal.
But Bandu seems to be a player that will continue to thrive in the Bucs’ shirt, despite the systems that he plays in. But, I'm not saying that he’s a fully-fledged player that can play all round in the squad. No! He’s got his own short-comings.
But his recent Bafana Bafana call-up should serve as proof that he’s headed in the right direction. And granted, it was not the final squad for the two friendlies, but surely, he and Khuliso Mudau are the best wing-backs locally at the moment.
So, there'd be no need for coach Hugo Broos to select one over the other. Shandu brings a lot to the table, given his run of form in front of goal. Mudau, though, has showed his class against TS Galaxy.
Shandu may have arrived late at Pirates from Maritzburg United, behind the likes of Siphesihle Ndlovu and Fortune Makaringe, but he’s quickly becoming the best transfer deal between the two teams as the other two are in and out of the team.
But those who’ve come before Shandu will tell him that it takes more than a few games to be considered a Pirates legend. He’s got to churn out that form every season, while ensuring that he steers the team into steady waters of silverware.
But that feat will come only if Shandu remains humble, keeps his feet on the ground and continues to learn. However, for now though, he can be proud of how far he’s come at Pirates — a feat that propelled him to the national team set-up.
IOL Sport