Khoza reveals secret behind Orlando Pirates' success as club boss hails his 'proudly South African team' with Soweto giants boasting more Bafana Bafana players than Mamelodi Sundowns

Orlando Pirates director Mpume Khoza has praised the Premier Soccer League giants as a 'proudly South African team'. 

Unlike Sundowns, Pirates have a limited number of foreign players. In the team that faced and defeated Marumo Gallants in the Carling Knockout final, all the starters were South African.

Deon Hotto, a Namibian international, only came in as a second-half substitute as the Buccaneers went on to break the jinx in the domestic competition by winning it.

While celebrating the Pirates' second Carling Knockout trophy, Khoza said what is more interesting is having a prouder South African team.  

“This one has been eluding us over the years. We’ve gone into these finals 10 times and only won it once,” Khoza told SuperSport TV.

“This is the second time, so this is really for the supporters. We also obviously want to improve the history, and we’ve managed to do it.

"I think more interestingly, it's about having a prouder South African team," he added. 

“So, for us, it is just to continue exposing the youngsters to tough competitions. I hope they can take the opportunities, and what comes next, I think we can only promise hard work throughout," the Bucs official concluded.

Khoza's statement comes days after Golden Arrows coach Manqoba Mngqithi wondered why Sundowns' transfer policy has changed in favour of getting more foreign players.

During his time, the tactician said, the priority was always given to local players, as they believed this would, by extension, strengthen Bafana. 

In the AFCON finals held in Ivory Coast last year, eight players from the Tshwane giants formed a pivotal cog of the Bafana side that finished third. This time around, only five will be in Morocco.

Ronwen Williams, Teboho Mokoena, Mothobi Mvala, Grant Kekana, Khuliso Mudau, Thapelo Morena, Thapelo Maseko, Terrence Mashego, Aubrey Modiba, and Themba Zwane were part of the Bafana squad.

Mngqithi said Hugo Broos cannot be blamed for selecting more Pirates players than Sundowns. The Arrows tactician said the Brazilian team is dominated by top players who cannot represent South Africa.

“Pirates have more players than Sundowns in the national team, and I can’t blame Hugo Broos for that because it’s the reality,” Mngqithi stated.   

“People will say this and that, but the reality is that Pirates have a lot of local players, while Sundowns do not. In Sundowns’ starting line-up, you often have five or six players who are not eligible to play for Bafana Bafana, and that’s where things are taking a different direction.

“Other teams are invested in older players, and that makes it very difficult to maintain a consistent pipeline for the national team," the 54-year-old tactician added.

“The shift at Pirates is because they have many local players — and many young ones. If you look at Tshepang Moremi, Oswin Appollis, Evidence Makgopa, Yanela Mbuthuma, Sipho Mbule, Masindi Nemtajela, and Thalente Mbatha—the list is endless. These are players who will feed into the national team.

"Unlike what we always used to – that Kaizer Chiefs will feed the national team, Sundowns will feed the national team, and Pirates will feed the national team – Golden Arrows fed the national squad for the World Cup [in 2010]. Golden Arrows had probably three players if you count Kagiso Dikgacoi [who was sold to Fulham in 2009].

“Are we continuing in that direction? If we don’t continue in that direction, we are going to be excited [at club level] and be disappointed very quickly [at the national team] after two to three years and maybe depend on one team.”