Former Orlando Pirates midfielder Benedict Vilakazi has described coach Josef Zinnbauer as having “failed the team” last season and that he has to listen to technical director Stanley ‘Screamer’ Tshabalala and club administrator Floyd Mbele on how to win the MTN8.
Pirates face Bloemfontein Celtic in the MTN8 final at Moses Mabhida Stadium on Saturday.
Following a video that went viral the whole week after Pirates’ 2-2 draw away at Cape Town City last Saturday, speculation that Tshabalala calls the shots at the club resurfaced.
In the footage, Tshabalala was seen giving instructions to captain Happy Jele in the stands, before the benched skipper went down to the pitch to supposedly relay the technical director’s message to players during the water break.
Vilakazi alleges Tshabalala and Mbele have been selecting the squad and suggesting tactics for MTN8 matches, while Zinnbauer has been in full charge of league matches.
The retired footballer believes there is need to make decisions for the German.
“There are dynamics in football whereby there is a technical director and your job is to oversee the team,” Vilakazi told iDiski TV.
“You decide with the coach on how to do things and if the coach does not listen, then you put your foot down as a technical director and say ‘either my way or your way.’ They gave him a chance last season because Pirates had an opportunity to win the league title, but the coach failed the team.
“So now they are saying ‘Coach, let us show you. Now the MTN8 is starting and you don’t have the pressure, leave it to us to show you that when we say we need a trophy, how you plan to win the Cup.
“The way they played in the MTN8 up to the final, you could see that their team was solid, strong and consistent as compared to his team [playing in the league]. So he has no choice, he just needs to do exactly what they are telling him to do because he failed.”
Vilakazi’s criticism of Zinnbauer stems from the Buccaneers' elimination from last season’s Nedbank Cup at the Round of 32 stage by Bidvest Wits, as well as failing to win the Premier Soccer League (PSL) title.
“Stanley and Floyd gave the coach the final 18 squad and then the starting XI. Why did they do that? Look at their matches against Kaizer Chiefs [MTN8 semi-finals], both first and second leg, Pirates played and simply won,” said Vilakazi.
“They didn’t want to change their line-up because they know and have been in this game for a long time. But there are times when I blame them, Floyd and Screamer.
“But in this scenario I don’t blame them. Pirates need this trophy and they [Floyd and Tshabalala] have decided ‘we will do it by ourselves. We had a chance to win the league title last season but you [Zinnbauer] blew it away. So we can’t give you that chance now, we will do it by ourselves.
“That’s why you realise that in the MTN8 games, they fielded a different line-up to league matches. That’s why you see that Pirates play in the MTN8 and then Orlando in the league.”