Ramokadi urges Mbuthuma to simplify his game and end Pirates goal drought

Former Orlando Pirates striker Bruce Ramokadi believes Yanela Mbuthuma’s desire to impress is contributing to his difficult start in front of goal.

The 24-year-old forward has yet to score in the three matches he has started this season and has faced growing criticism from Pirates supporters. Frustration among the club’s fans appeared to intensify after Orlando Pirates were held to a 1-1 draw by AmaZulu in a Betway Premiership match on Wednesday.

Ramokadi, who previously played for Orlando Pirates, says Mbuthuma should not allow the pressure surrounding him to change the way he plays. Instead, he has advised the former Richards Bay striker to return to the straightforward approach that served him before his move.

“The thing is, he must not try hard. I see that he is trying very hard and when you do that, you are bound to make mistakes. So he must just be himself, play the football he was playing at Richards Bay,” Ramokadi said.

According to Ramokadi, Mbuthuma’s priority should be to operate in the penalty area and take whatever opportunities come his way, rather than trying to produce spectacular finishes.

“Because if you’re a box striker, you need to be in the box, you don’t have to be as skillful as other players. Just do your job, even if he can score with a toe, it’s fine, it’s a goal and that will boost his confidence.

“He must not look to score smart goals, because most of the time players want to score beautiful goals. I mean when you score, a goal is a goal. On the record it says you scored, there’s no space of how you scored it,” the former Pirates striker continued.

Ramokadi said Mbuthuma’s main difficulty was attempting to play like more creative footballers, rather than concentrating on the qualities expected of a recognised goal-scorer.

“I think that’s his biggest problem, he wants to play like other (creative) players and he is just a goal-scorer. But I can see he’s a hard worker, he defends from the front, which is what made him different from (Tshegofatso) Mabasa.”

Mbuthuma’s work without the ball has been viewed by Ramokadi as one of the attributes that sets him apart from Tshegofatso Mabasa. However, the former striker believes the forward must now rediscover his instinct in the box and find a goal by any means necessary.

Ramokadi also offered advice to Orlando Pirates head coach Abdeslam Ouaddou over how best to manage Mbuthuma during the period of criticism. He does not believe the striker should be protected by being used only as a substitute.

Instead, Ramokadi wants Ouaddou to continue selecting him from the start, arguing that regular involvement will help Mbuthuma rebuild his confidence. He also suggested that supporters’ reactions would not necessarily change according to whether the team wins or loses.

“He must play him, he’s got confidence. The supporters won’t like everything anyway, whether they win or lose, they always complain,” Ramokadi added.