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Fiery Moeneeb Josephs fires scathing salvo at Pirates players and labels them as 'Instagram stars'

Orlando Pirates chairman Irvin Khoza should go and chase the signature of Steve Pienaar this off-season to bring someone to the club who can show the current “Instagram players what a real star is”‚ says ex-Bucs goalkeeper Moeneeb Josephs.

In a scathing assessment of the commitment levels by the current Pirates squad‚ Bidvest Wits and ex-Bafana Bafana World Cup keeper Josephs said Bucs had shown “not enough pride at all” finishing 11th in the past season’s Absa Premiership.

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Josephs said even winning the Nedbank Cup final on June 24 against SuperSport United will only partly redeem Bucs’ season.

The keeper‚ a back-to-back treble winner at Pirates in 2010-11 and 2011-12‚ encouraged Khoza to chase Pienaar – out of contract at Sunderland in June – as a signing.

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Josephs said the former Bafana captain could bring much-needed star quality to Bucs‚ as Benni McCarthy had winning a treble in 2012.

“Definitely‚ definitely. ‘Schillo’ is a big Orlando Pirates supporter. Big‚ big – massive‚” Josephs enthused.

“I think he would bring something. He’d bring that spark back to Pirates. I’m vouching for Steven to come to Pirates.

“Because Orlando Pirates need a player like him. Not these players who are Instagram players. No. They need a player like Steven Pienaar – a real star‚ to come and turn things around for Pirates again.

“Many of these players‚ you can see they are Instagram stars. Not doing the business for Pirates – there isn’t pride any more for that jersey.

“They’re not playing for the team‚ for the ‘Ghost’ (Bucs’ fans)‚ for the ancestors. They’re playing for Instagram.

"Whatever they’re doing at training it’s done for Instagram – it’s c**p.

“Bring the big stars‚ bring the real stars. They should go and chase Steven Pienaar and show the boys there what a real star is.

“That’s what Benni came and did for us at Pirates. They brought a big star and he turned Pirates around.

“And Steven needs to come and do that at Orlando Pirates now.”

Josephs (37)‚ who won the PSL with Wits this season‚ admitted his emotions run high contemplating Bucs’ dismal 80th anniversary 2016-17 season.

“Sorry‚ I was just emotional now. Because I’m Orlando Pirates‚” he said.

“I like Orlando Pirates – they’ve been wonderful to me. They gave me a stepping stone to play on the biggest stage of my career.

“And to see the players there now doing what they are doing‚ representing the team like they’re doing with fans who are hungry for success … .

“I don’t give them the Nedbank Cup final – that doesn’t bother me. It’s the type of football they are playing‚ the way they are going about losing games – and the next thing they are on Instagram as if nothing has happened.

"That p**ses me off.

“And for a team like Orlando Pirates that’s not enough. They need to win this trophy. But there’s not enough pride – not at all.

“Bring Steven Pienaar to Orlando Pirates. The chairman should go and chase him.”

Pienaar‚ 35‚ appears likely to return to play in South Africa in the coming off-season.

He made 17 league and cup appearances at Sunderland in 2016-17‚ having signed a on-year deal in August after being released by Everton. - TMG Digital/TMG Sport

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