Orlando Pirates head coach Jose Riveiro has emphasized the collective effort behind the club's ability to nurture and promote young talent into the first team.
Riveiro's leadership, coupled with the club's vision, has seen the rise of several promising players who have seamlessly integrated into the senior squad and contributed to the team's recent successes.
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In their latest match against Chippa United on Wednesday, Pirates introduced another young prospect, 19-year-old defender Mbekezeli Mbokazi.
The teenager stepped up at a crucial time when the Buccaneers were dealing with injuries and suspensions in their defensive ranks.
Partnering with the experienced Nkosinathi Sibisi at centre-back, Mbokazi displayed composure beyond his years and played a key role in ensuring Pirates secured a clean sheet in their hard-fought 1-0 victory.
Adding to the youthful defensive unit, 22-year-old Siyabonga Ndlozi was deployed at right-back, and he too delivered a solid performance.
Their impressive display highlighted Pirates' ability to transition academy players into first-team regulars seamlessly.
These two rising stars have joined the ranks of other young standouts such as Relebohile Mofokeng and Mohau Nkota, both of whom have also thrived under Riveiro's tenure since he took charge in 2022.
Despite the praise directed at him for fostering young talents, Riveiro has been quick to deflect personal credit, emphasizing that it is a result of a well-structured system at the Soweto giants.
Speaking at a Nedbank Cup press conference in Gauteng on Thursday, Riveiro stressed the importance of the club's collective approach in preparing young players for the senior team.
"It could be easy for me to say that credit belongs to me, but it's not only (due) to me. Like I said, the club has a vision, has a plan, it's not only Riveiro supporting those players. I think it belongs to the whole club to make sure that what we are doing is possible (and) it's not just by chance like I said already many times we are not gambling when we choose the players. We are not going just to see what happens, like I said, the boys are ready, the boys are good, we're trying to help them to feel confident (and) that's probably the most important thing in our role – it's to make sure that when they go to the field, they can be themselves, because again they're ready. That's it, let's leave it there, let's go to SuperSport," said Riveiro.
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As Pirates gear up for their crucial Nedbank Cup quarter-final clash against SuperSport United, the likes of Mbokazi and Ndlozi may once again be called upon to rise to the occasion.
They will have the challenging task of containing formidable strikers such as Samir Nurkovic, Christian Saile, and Bradley Grobler.
With an opportunity to reach a third consecutive semi-final, the Buccaneers' faith in their young talents could prove decisive in their pursuit of silverware.
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By Masebe Qina
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