MTN8 final: Kgoloko Thobejane backs Orlando Pirates’ young talent to overcome Mamelodi Sundowns

Former Baroka FC coach Kgoloko Thobejane has backed Orlando Pirates to beat Mamelodi Sundowns in the MTN8 final, saying the Buccaneers’ young players possess the natural ability to trouble the African champions.

The two sides meet at Moses Mabhida Stadium on Saturday, with Thobejane confident that Pirates’ youthful squad will prove too difficult for the Tshwane giants to contain.

Known for his phrase “football will kill you”, Thobejane gave a clear verdict on which team he expects to lift the trophy.

“Favourites is Pirates,” he told KickOff.

Thobejane believes the technical quality within the Pirates squad comes from an innate understanding of the game rather than something that can simply be taught.

“Those young boys from Pirates, football is in their blood. They are young but super talented. That breed didn’t learn football anywhere, it’s something they were born with. Sundowns players they can’t compete with those boys from Pirates,” he said.

The coach expanded on his view by referring to his belief that football depends on players possessing natural talent. He also praised Pirates’ recruitment for identifying players with those qualities.

“Footbolo e nyaka dikgwari [Football needs talented players], it doesn’t need people who should be first taught things like ‘kick with your right foot, kick with your left foot’… No! What Pirates did there is the right recruitment.”

For Thobejane, Pirates’ attacking threat is evidence of the talent available in South Africa. He argued that certain abilities, particularly finishing, cannot be created through coaching alone.

“Pirates is showing us in South Africa we have talent. You don’t coach someone to score goals. Scoring goals you have to be born with it. So Sundowns will not match all that in Mabhida. Pirates have dribblers and scorers,” he concluded.

His prediction sets up a confident assessment of Pirates’ chances ahead of a final between two of South Africa’s leading clubs. While Sundowns will arrive as the side Thobejane describes as African champions, he believes the individual talent in the Pirates team will give them the decisive advantage at Moses Mabhida Stadium.