32 Signings Since 2017 – Is Orlando Pirates’ Recruitment Working?

23 October 2019, by: Grant de Smidt

Orlando Pirates’ Recruitment Strategy – is it Working?

As the dust settles on Milutin Sredojevic’s two-and-a-bit year reign as Orlando Pirates’ head coach, and Rhulani Mokwena gets his feet under the table in his new role, we look back on the club’s recruitment over the last two-plus years.

How many of the massive 32 new players signed and promoted in the last 28 months have succeeded, or will prove a success?

This is the age-old question at Orlando Pirates. With no sporting director to lead the recruitment process, and head coaches not always given autonomy over which players to sign, there does not appear to be much cohesion at the club. This has been the case for many seasons.

One perfect example was Bucs signing Thamsanqa Mkhize from Maritzburg United in 2016. He was brought on board, but newly-appointed coach, Muhsin Ertugral did not want him. Mkhize subsequently had his contract terminated immediately and went on to become Bafana Bafana’s first choice right-back, whilst Ertugral resigned a few months later. In that example, the club signed a player and then gave the coach the power to get rid of him.

In the recent transfer window, Pule Maraisane was brought on board and told Soccer Laduma that he had penned a three-year contract. However, the attacking midfielder was not given a squad number and his signing was never announced, despite being pictured at training. He has since seemingly left Pirates. Contracts in South African football are rarely worth the paper they are written on.

At Pirates, a club chasing the mega-rich Mamelodi Sundowns, clever recruitment is one of the key ways to close the gap to Pitso Mosimane’s side. Whereas Downs can afford to spend big money on new signings, they can also afford to absorb any losses from big additions that flop.

Signing guys like Aubrey Ngoma and Jeremy Brockie, who both look destined to end as failed purchases, has little real effect on Sundowns’ ambitions if they don’t succeed. They can afford a hit-and-miss transfer strategy and still lift titles year-in and year-out.

Whereas signing flops does not hurt Sundowns, who can simply go out and get another top-quality addition, every failure in the transfer market for Pirates delays their progress and ambitions. A large turnover of playing personnel also delays the full implementation of the club’s “game model”.

Below, the 32 additions are divided into four categories: those players who have flopped (including those still at the club who appear to have little chance of turning things around), success stories and then a bigger group of players where the jury is still out. The latter category is sub-divided into signings who look promising and those who could be headed towards flopping at Pirates.

He got very few games at Pirates, but struggled to provide the coaching staff with what they wanted as he slowed the game down and took too many touches.

He has played this way all his career, so his failure was no surprise and likely just a case of Pirates poaching one of Chippa’s best players, regardless of suitability to the club.

The left-back had off-field discipline problems and simply could not displace Innocent Maela having joined from Chippa United after just five months at PSL level.

Injury problems curtailed his progress, and his displays were inconsistent when fit. This is another addition from Chippa United.

The Brazilian was hailed by then-assistant coach, Rhulani Mokwena, who said:

“He’s got a lot more potential, in my opinion, than Nascimento”.

The youngster eventually left due to homesickness, but the club barely gave him a kick in the second half of the 2018-19 season, which slowed down his acclimatisation on and off the pitch.

He has played once since February. A powerful midfielder who arguably lacks the technical passing ability to play either in a deep-lying or advanced role at Pirates and, like Sangweni, was only signed due to the club’s connection with Chippa United. A good player, but not one suited to Pirates perhaps.

Yet another flop from Chippa United. Has barely had a kick at Pirates despite showing a good attitude, much like Mntambo. Both players are still at the club but are highly unlikely to turn their stays into a success.

Sadly retired due to injury, but at the time of his signing, he did not look an upgrade on a goalkeeping department featuring several options at the same level.

Signed a three-year contract after being called directly by Dr. Irvin Khoza. Has since vanished from Mayfair and later surfaced at Farouk Khan’s Stars of Africa academy.

Joined as a belated exchange as part of the deal to take Oupa Manyisa to Mamelodi Sundowns, who still owned the player despite his time at Golden Arrows. He did decently in his lone season at the club, but was ditched after a single season.

Arrived from Bidvest Wits and immediately made a difference to Pirates’ midfield. His form has not been as good over the last 9 months as it was for his first two seasons, but he still goes down as a success.

A superb signing, both for the performances he has given but also for his adaptation from a number ten into a deep-lying playmaker. Perfectly suits what Bucs are trying to do in midfield and how they must wish he was a few years younger.

Grabbed from under the noses of Kaizer Chiefs, who appeared to have won the race for his signature. Was only a rotation option at Wits but has found another level at Pirates thanks to good coaching and his motivation to improve himself. Gives Bucs a directness they often lack when he is missing.

Signed on a free outside the transfer window in September 2017, the Zambian has had a mixed time at Pirates. His first season brought only four goals (one every 432 minutes) but an impressive eight assists. Last season, he netted 13 times and assisted seven more across all competitions. That was thanks to a run of 11 goals in 24 appearances from November to March after a slow start to the season.

Though he has lost his spot so far this campaign, it seems to be related to having his head turned by transfer interest and although he is never going to be a ruthless finisher, he still goes down as a good signing.

Joined in January of Sredojevic’s first season and although he has been wildly inconsistent, he has also been a match-winner on occasion and therefore goes down as a success story.

Both players were recalled after multi-year loan spells at other clubs and have been impressive performers. Maela has made himself indispensable to the side and can play in numerous roles tactically, whilst Dube has done well whenever fit but has had constant injury issues to deal with.

A much-needed athletic option in a slow midfield, he made himself an important cog in Pirates’ engine room last season. The side tends to be far less dynamic without him and more susceptible to being caught on counter-attacks.

The versatile midfielder has started life decently at Pirates albeit often playing as a left-sided winger or wingback. However, his athletic, multi-functional profile makes him the ideal signing on paper and he should be a success at Pirates.

Like Makaringe, he is yet to get many games in his best position, but he looks an ideal player for what Bucs are trying to do tactically and if he does not succeed, it will be down to not getting enough game time to find his feet and confidence. The talent and profile are there for him to be one of Pirates’ best signings in recent memory.

The striker has made a very promising start with four goals to his name already. A tough spell is bound to happen, so he needs to continue getting minutes and have confidence shown in him when that rough patch does arrive. A superb finisher, he still has a lot of work to do on his pressing from the front. This goes down as a shrewd addition by Pirates.

In terms of profile, he looks well suited to play as a wide forward in Pirates’ system. He has scored twice so far and he works very hard from the front, so the signs are good that he suits the club and will prove a success down the line.

The 19-year-old development product has been converted from attack into a right-back this season and has shown real potential. With Dube’s injury problems, the right-back area has been a problem position and with improvements to his decision-making and defensive game, Monyane has the potential to be a top player.

The 24-year-old’s talent is not in question, but he has played just 10 minutes in Pirates’ first 10 games this season and without time on the field, his development will stagnate. He played predominantly as a left-back for Chippa but seems to be considered an inverted right winger by Mokwena. If he fails, it will be down to simply having too much competition to get the chance he deserves.

With just one PSL season to his name, the former Bloemfontein Celtic man was snapped up as one for the future. Yet to make his Bucs debut though and as a relative rookie at this level, he desperately needs game time.

If he fails at Pirates, it’s because he simply can’t displace Maela and he won’t continue to improve by watching from the stands. Signing both Sam and Tlolane in the same window for a position with an undisputed number one, and then not loaning both of them out, was a curious decision which must be corrected in January.

Without a doubt, Dlamini is a great talent. Like Mhango, he has had some involvement already but where they differ is that the latter is the finished article and can step in to perform immediately when called upon, whilst Dlamini is still improving and he simply must get game time to reach his full potential – otherwise he could be another Mahachi.

The French goalkeeper arrived having been the third choice at Feyenoord. He has already been lauded for his tactical intelligence but has conceded some soft goals. Whether he proves an upgrade on what Pirates already had between the poles is questionable.

A signing made last January from Bloemfontein Celtic, he has shown himself to be a good character and dominant in defensive duels. However, his lack of mobility, tendency to back off attackers running at him, and only moderate ball-playing ability means he always looked a stop-gap at best.

Like Tlolane, he arrived from Chippa United (albeit a year earlier) after an excellent season when converted to left-back. He has shown glimpses of his true ability but is never likely to bench Maela at fullback and has far too much competition to play regularly in forward areas. He is a solid enough player but needs to do more to justify keeping him at the club for a third season.

By all accounts, he looked great in friendlies and training, but never got a genuine chance. With such a big squad, fleeting outings are the best he was granted and he now finds himself on loan at Chippa United.

The right-back arrived from Sundowns in June 2018, seemingly to give the squad some CAF Champions League experience. When selected, he has done reasonably well, but he now finds himself below teenager Monyane in the pecking order as he nears his 33rd birthday. It’s difficult to see Mbekile playing regularly for the rest of his time at Pirates and can’t, therefore, be classed as a successful signing.

This is one that could be seen as a success by some people and as a failed signing by others. He started life at Pirates quite well, but an Achilles and then finger injury ruined his first campaign. He ended the 2018-19 season as first choice with six clean sheets in his final nine league games. However, howlers for goals against Sundowns and Highlands Park stick in the memory and he has never looked suited to playing out from the back.

Another promoted development product who did well on loan at TS Galaxy and has shone in two pre-seasons at Pirates, but competition is just too heavy to see him getting the minutes he needs to be a success. Should have spent this season on loan at a PSL club and simply must find a new temporary home in January to keep developing as he heads towards his 23rd birthday.

Pirates have made some excellent signings over the last five transfer windows (Nyatama, Pule, Motshwari etc.), but have also signed many flops from Chippa United and other solid veterans who don’t suit the style of play (Ndengane, Sandilands).

Many exciting young players have arrived but then been discarded after only one season in the first team, like Mahachi and Maphangule, whilst a lack of opportunities could see Lepasa, Dlamini and Tlolane, amongst others, go down the same route.

Bucs should focus on making less signings in future to ensure the promising ones that they do bring in will have a route to regular football. How do they do that? They may need to give their young technical staff members like Rhulani Mokwena, Fadlu Davids and Darian Wilken greater input in the recruitment process.

The last transfer window’s additions like Makaringe and Ndlovu look absolutely ideal and should be the new blueprint for transfer business, with some shrewd additions like Vincent Pule and Tshegofatso Mabasa mixed into that.

When you have Pitso Mosimane travelling to Bolivia to watch Gaston Sirino play before signing him, or spending big fees on the top local players, you simply can’t afford to have a scattergun transfer approach in trying to catch them.

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