Orlando Pirates coaches must use the clubs history and culture as a springboard to success, says Lucky Lekgwathi

Orlando Pirates team mates celebrates goal with teammates during the CAF Confederation Cup 2021/22 match between Orlando Pirates and JS Saoura at Orlando Stadium. Photo: Muzi Ntombela/BackpagePix

Orlando Pirates team mates celebrates goal with teammates during the CAF Confederation Cup 2021/22 match between Orlando Pirates and JS Saoura at Orlando Stadium. Photo: Muzi Ntombela/BackpagePix

Published Feb 22, 2022

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Durban - Orlando Pirates reflect after a weekend of disappointment as they crashed to defeat in their second CAF Confederations Cup group stage match in Libya.

The Sea Robbers still harbour ambitions of clinching both the Confederations Cup and the Nedbank Cup with the DStv premiership crown seemingly at the discretion of runaway leaders Mamelodi Sundowns.

Former captain and 14 year Buccaneer, Lucky Lekgwathi believes the current coaches have to grasp the history and culture of the club if they are to carve out any success at Mayfair.

“Orlando Pirates is about history and culture, if the current coaches want to succeed then they should look to emulate the successes of the past and pick out the most important elements of those triumphs.”

ALSO READ: Siyabonga Mpontshane cannot be blamed for Orlando Pirates' defeat, after Ittihad score a freak goal

“At the moment, no one knows who forms as the core of the team, the technical team rotates the starting lineup every single week whereas in my era, everyone knew (Siyabonga) Sangweni and I were gonna start, Andile Jali and Oupa (Manyisa) were our midfield and so on,” he explained.

“Salaries shouldn’t determine who plays at a big club like Pirates. They key to any successful team is consistency and if Pirates can’t find those solid combinations in crucial areas then we will be looking at another local coach failing a big club.”

ALSO READ: Libyans Al-Ittihad beat Orlando Pirates in five-goal CAF Confed Cup thriller

Pirates have an opportunity to get back on track this Sunday when they face Royal Leopards at the Mbombela Stadium in Nelspruit.

The match which was initially supposed to be played in Eswatini will now be played in South Africa after CAF deemed The Mavuso Sports Centre unsuitable to host the Buccaneers, citing ‘a lack of basic requirements to host CAF inter-club competitions.’

SowetanLive reported that CAF deemed the venue’s changerooms to be too small in addition to a lack of proper benches and floodlights.

IOL Sport

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