Orlando Pirates’ eight-goal start masks a striking shortage

Four matches into the new campaign across all competitions, Orlando Pirates have scored eight goals without a single one coming from a recognised striker.

That unusual start has raised an early question for the Buccaneers: should their supporters view the spread of goals as proof of a strong team system, or worry that the forwards are not contributing?

The goals have been shared across the squad. Defenders have contributed three goals, with Ghampani Lungu and Tshepang Moremi each scoring twice. Patrick Maswanganyi, Oswin Appollis, Lebone Seema and Daniel Msemdami have also found the net once each.

The distribution offers an encouraging interpretation of Pirates’ performances. Modern football increasingly expects goals from every area of the pitch, rather than relying entirely on the players leading the attack. Pirates appear to have embraced that approach during the opening weeks of the season.

A team with defenders willing to advance and midfielders capable of scoring presents opponents with a more complex problem. Marking the strikers out of a match is no longer enough if players from other positions can decide the contest. Supporters who see the situation positively believe that collective responsibility is making Pirates less predictable and more difficult to contain.

However, there is an obvious concern at the other end of the argument. Strikers are ultimately judged on their ability to score, and Boitumelo Radiopane and Yanela Mbuthuma remain without a goal after carrying most of the responsibility in attack.

Pirates’ options have also been affected by injuries and squad availability. New signing Sebastian Pedersen is yet to make his debut for the club, while Evidence Makgopa is unavailable because of injury. Makgopa’s absence is particularly significant because it removes an established goalscorer from the attacking group and increases the pressure on those currently filling the role.

The question for Radiopane and Mbuthuma is whether they are still adapting to their increased responsibilities or whether their lack of goals points to a wider problem. Teams competing for silverware generally need their main forwards to produce consistently. Depending on defenders and midfielders to maintain their current scoring rate over a demanding season could prove difficult.

The issue will become more serious if those goals from elsewhere in the side begin to dry up. Pirates must establish whether their opening four matches reflect a sustainable attacking model or simply a temporary spell in which the forwards have yet to find their rhythm.

Four matches remain only a small sample, and strikers can endure short barren periods before scoring regularly again. For now, the most important evidence in Pirates’ favour is that they are winning games and continuing to score, even if the production has not come from the positions normally expected to provide it.

The early results suggest the system is functioning. The longer-term test will be whether Radiopane, Mbuthuma, Pedersen and, when available, Makgopa can add the missing goals from the front of the attack.