Lungu’s impact earns early praise after Orlando Pirates heroics

New Orlando Pirates signing Gamphani Lungu has already been highlighted as a valuable impact player after scoring the extra-time winner against Durban City in the MTN8 quarter-finals.

The Zambian international came off the bench at the weekend to secure a place for Pirates in the next round of the competition, underlining the range of options he could offer the club during the season.

Lungu joined Orlando Pirates during the off-season after spending eight years with SuperSport United, who became Siwelele FC last season. His ability to contribute in different positions has made him an important addition, according to Kelvin Kaindu, who coached the player at both ZANACO and Power Dynamos.

Kaindu says Lungu’s physical appearance initially led some people to question whether he could reach his potential. However, the former coach believes those doubts disappeared whenever the player had the ball.

“He is a player that most people didn’t think he had potential,” discloses Kelvin Kaindu, who coached him at ZANACO and Power Dynamos.

“This was at ZANACO, where I was an assistant and where he spent a short time before moving to Power Dynamos.

“His body was the issue, but then when he got to the ball, that was when he showed his true qualities, dispelling all doubts about his body.

“I then found him at Power Dynamos, where he also played regularly during his short stay.

“What I know is that he can easily fit in at any team and make an impact.

“He is an impact player and a complete player.

“The beauty is that he is a utility player who can give you something in every position he plays and has shown consistency in South Africa.

Kaindu believes that versatility, combined with Lungu’s consistent performances in South Africa, will benefit Orlando Pirates as they compete across the season.

“So, Pirates will benefit from having him, and I think they recruited him having seen all he does.

“He has performed in the South African league, which has had lesser Zambian players in recent times, unlike in the past when we had Dennis Lota and Collins Mbesuma leading, with Zimbabwe also having huge numbers, amongst them Knowledge Musona and Khama Billiat,” says Kaindu, who is now coaching ambitious Zimbabwean club Hardrock FC.

Lungu’s decisive contribution against Durban City provides an early indication of the role he can play for Orlando Pirates. Although he began that match among the substitutes, his late intervention delivered the result and sent the club through to the MTN8 semi-finals.

His journey to Pirates included a short spell at ZANACO before he moved to Power Dynamos, where he also played regularly. Kaindu says the player showed during those early stages that he could adapt quickly and influence matches, qualities he later demonstrated consistently in South Africa.

The coach’s assessment is that Lungu is capable of fitting into any team, while his ability to operate in several positions gives Pirates another option when they need to change the course of a match. His first major contribution for the club has now come in the MTN8, where he settled the quarter-final in extra time.