Skipper concerned over conceding goals early
Dream comes true as Tyson wins first cup with Bucs
Image: ©Samuel Shivambu/BackpagePix
Winning the MTN8 with the Buccaneers is extra special for Thulani Hlatshwayo because he grew up supporting Orlando Pirates as a boy.
Hlatshwayo led the Soweto giants to end their six-year trophy wait when they clinched the MTN8 title after they edged Bloemfontein Celtic 2-1 at Moses Mabhida Stadium on Saturday.
The MTN8 title is Hlatshwayo’s second after he won it with the now-defunct Bidvest Wits, but he said the feeling was different from when he lifted the same trophy four years ago.
“It is a good feeling for me to win my first trophy with Orlando Pirates. It is through hard work and team effort,” Hlatshwayo told the media after the match.
“It is special to win it with the team that I love. It is a feeling that I have tasted before with Bidvest Wits but it is different winning the trophy with the team I grew up supporting.”
Tyson was also pleased to see the new signings adding value as Deon Hotto and Richard Ofori contributed to the success of the club on Saturday.
“Coming to Pirates, those were the questions that every player was asked: ‘what difference are you going to make’, and we said ‘we want to win trophies’. And now to have won it is incredible and I’m pleased about that.”
However, having seen Pirates concede first in their past four matches, Tyson said they would have to work on that but that he was pleased as they had shown character to bounce back.
“Without a doubt, as defenders we get unhappy to concede early in the game because it shows lack of concentration from the back four,” Hlatshwayo said.
“So, yeah, it is a concern that we need to work on going forward. But when you look at our previous games, the fighting spirit in the team has been evident after conceding early in the game. We knew that there are still a lot of minutes to play [after conceding early against Celtic] and [there was] the fighting spirit and the never-give-up attitude from the guys.
“Celtic were in their second final, so they were not going to be a walk in the park. And you could see the way they were moving the ball.”