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Zinnbauer believes Pirates can challenge for the league title more convincingly in the coming season

Orlando Pirates FC coaches Josef Zinnbauer,Mandla Ncikazi and Fadlu Davids during the Orlando Pirates media opportunity at Royal Marang Hotel Phokeng on July 28, 2021 in Rustenburg, South Africa.
Orlando Pirates FC coaches Josef Zinnbauer,Mandla Ncikazi and Fadlu Davids during the Orlando Pirates media opportunity at Royal Marang Hotel Phokeng on July 28, 2021 in Rustenburg, South Africa.
Image: Lefty Shivambu/Gallo Images

Orlando Pirates coach Josef Zinnbauer says with a team that has had a proper break‚ and a full-length pre-season‚ the club can challenge for the DStv Premiership title more convincingly in 2021-22.

In an injury-plagued 2020-21 where‚ in a season compressed by the previous campaign running into September due to Covid-19‚ and where Bucs had a two-week pre-season‚ Zinnbauer’s team ended a six-year trophy drought winning the MTN8. However‚ a combination bolstered by strong signings ended a disappointing third in the DStv Premiership.

Zinnbauer said a five-week‚ and his first proper pre-season in his one-and-a-half years at the club‚ has many advantages‚ including allowing time to integrate the signings‚ for individual team-building and to get some of Bucs’ still-walking wounded close to readiness.

“It’s a big thing as a coach that you have more weeks now. Important as well is that you have players on the pitch. This time we don't have so many injured like last season‚” Zinnbauer said as Bucs wound up an intense pre-season camp at Royal Marang Hotel in Rustenburg this week.

“OK‚ right now we have four or five players out‚ like [Tshegofatso] Mabasa‚ [Zakhele] Lepasa‚ Happy [Jele]‚ [Terrence] Dzvukamanja and Vincent Pule. That’s a little bit disruptive but it's much better than last season.

“We now have close to five weeks’ preparation‚ last season it was two. We can work on private talks – like now we have team team-building sessions alone with the players‚ without coaches and with coaches.

“And that’s the next thing we can improve – how we can integrate the new signings in the team quickly.

“It’s not everything – we also have to work hard. It’s a bit of a different style than what we had last season and I’m really happy at how the team are working hard on that.”

Zinnbauer was then asked the magic question: if that means Bucs will be serious contenders for a much-coveted first league title since their double-trebles of 2010-11 and 2011-12.

“We have more time now. But you need players available‚” he said.

“But we have a good squad now. Yes‚ last season we were happy – the last six years we didn’t have a cup and we won a cup.

“We want to win all the cups. Especially for clubs like Pirates‚ Chiefs or Sundowns.

“We saw in the last few years that it’s not so easy. Last season we saw AmaZulu [finish second in the league].

“But it’s possible. Now we have a chance. Last season we had players who had not played a game in continental competition‚ like Caf. And now we have more experience.

“We have players who have adapted more to the system. As a coach‚ I’m the same – I have adapted more to the culture now.

“And I hope now that if we have the players on board – not like last season with injuries all season – we will have the right direction‚ build on the system we want.

“It's not so easy but we are working on it. I’m 100 percent sure that if we have the players on the field we can win cups.”

Among interesting‚ and perhaps also not so numerous as to destabilise‚ signings for Pirates are Goodman Mosele‚ Monnapule Saleng‚ Bandile Shandu and Kwanda Mngonyama.

Bucs meet Kaizer Chiefs in the pre-season Black Label Cup at Orlando Stadium on Sunday.