Thalente Mbatha returns for Orlando Pirates’ MTN8 final against Sundowns

Thalente Mbatha will return from injury hoping to extend his remarkable unbeaten record when Orlando Pirates face Mamelodi Sundowns in Saturday’s MTN8 final at Moses Mabhida Stadium.

The midfielder has never been on the losing side in a match he started for Pirates since joining from SuperSport United in January 2024. Across 32 starts, the club have recorded 23 victories and nine draws.

That record has earned Mbatha a reputation as a lucky charm, although the 26-year-old prefers to focus on carrying out his responsibilities rather than the statistics surrounding his appearances.

“I’ve seen the pictures and everything, but as I said, for me, my job is to do my job for Pirates,” Mbatha said.

“So, I don’t go around looking at whether the team loses or anything, because football is about three results. You win, you draw, you lose. So for me, it’s a matter of doing my job, and if the team continues winning, that means I’m doing my part.”

Mbatha’s influence has grown since he left the streets of KwaMashu to establish himself at some of South Africa’s biggest stadiums. He has become an important player for both Pirates and Bafana Bafana.

At club level, he helped Pirates win the Betway Premiership, MTN8 and Carling Knockout trophies last season. The team have also won the past three MTN8 titles and will look to him to help preserve their unbeaten run if he is selected against Sundowns.

“Ispan’ sam ukushaya ispan (my work is to do the work),” Mbatha said. “So, given the opportunity, I am going to do it again.”

Whether he can immediately reproduce his best form after a lengthy spell on the sidelines remains a question, but Mbatha believes Pirates’ preparation has helped him regain fitness and confidence.

“We have friendlies and preparation matches here, so I believe the technical team know what they are doing,” he said. “Having these matches, I believe that’s where you gain match fitness and confidence when coming back.”

He also acknowledged the mental challenge of returning from injury, particularly when attempting challenges.

“Coming back from an injury is not easy because sometimes you fear putting in a tackle – it deals with you mentally,” Mbatha added. “So, I believe the preparations help a lot mentally.”

Pirates are widely regarded as favourites because of their recent MTN8 success, despite having a youthful, new-look squad. Sundowns, meanwhile, have not won a domestic cup competition in recent years.

Mbatha rejected the suggestion that Pirates should be expected to win.

“I don’t think so,” he said. “I think that we worked hard to get here. There’s no luck in winning finals; it all boils down to the hard work that we put in here at Rand Stadium.”

“We will continue working hard, just like today. We are going to play the final to win it. I believe that’s something that we should tell ourselves and pass on to the youngsters.”