- Segolela assesses the current Pirates squad
- Says team is strong in all departments
- He sees it as champions material
WHAT HAPPENED? Pirates are bidding to end Mamelodi Sundowns’ dominance of domestic football. They brought in a new coach from Spain this season, as well as signed a number of new players to try and spark a new era of success.
Segolela scored five Premier Soccer League goals for Pirates during the 2010/11 treble-winning season and has likened the current squad to their successful team. He says they are a strong unit like previous teams that won trophies and it's hard to pick a star player because all are top performers.
WHAT SEGOLELA SAID: “The key thing about the current squad is that they are unified. They work as a team,” Segolela told KickOff.
“I look at the team now and it’s difficult to pick a star player. They have a solid defence, a dominant midfield and attackers that are scoring goals now. They’re playing well together.
“You can look at most of the successful Pirates teams in the past, there was no outright superstar. Everyone contributed and did their job very well. I think that’s the biggest addition that also the new coach has brought in – that spirit of working for one another.”
THE BIGGER PICTURE: The Buccaneers have already won the MTN8 this season. The top-eight trophy came just five months after Riveiro arrived in South Africa for his first-ever job in Africa. Although the Buccaneers are trailing log leaders Mamelodi Sundowns by nine points in the PSL race, they still have a chance to close the gap and challenge for the league title which they last won a decade ago. They also still have the Nedbank Cup to play for this season.
Next Match
STORY IN THREE PHOTOS:
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Backpagepix.WHAT NEXT FOR PIRATES? After the current Fifa World Cup break, the Soweto giants resume their league campaign with a big fixture. They are scheduled to visit Sundowns at the end of December.
