ORLANDO Pirates legend Lucky Lekgwathi is hurting.
Lekgwathi is not convinced by the club’s signing. He is of the view that some of them are not worthy to wear Bucs’s famous black-and-white jersey.
“Some of the signings we have are not ready to play for Pirates,” said Lekgwathi.
“Again, there’s a lot of chopping and changing in the starting line-up. You sign eight players and you want to play seven at the same time? It can’t be! I’m always sharing my experience with the team.
“I remember when we won the first treble in the 2010-11 season, the chairman Irvin Khoza didn’t relax. He signed top players.”
Pirates then signed Siyabonga Sangweni, Benni McCarthy, Thandani Ntshumayelo, Tokelo Rantie and Thabo Matlaba, among others.
“But they played gradually, Benni and Sangweni deserved to play from the onset, with Benni having played overseas,” he added.
“After that, Thabo, Ntshumayelo were introduced gradually. Right now, boom, all at once. You kill players and the momentum of the team.
“Look at Sundowns, Kermit Erasmus, when he came, he didn’t play from the start. It was same with Thabiso Kutumela, Mothobi Mvala, Andile Jali and Mosa Lebusa. At Pirates we rush players.”
Lekgwathi, who spent 14 years at Pirates and won 14 trophies, says another downfall is the ever-changing technical team.
Pirates are co-coached by Mandla Ncikazi and Fadlu Davids after they replaced Josef Zinnbauer who left in August.
He said he saw the signs of Pirates closing the gap on Sundowns when they won the MTN8 last season, but things again have fallen apart.
Lekgwathi hopes Pirates’s form improves when they face Amakhosi in the Soweto Derby at FNB Stadium on Saturday.
He reckons Bucs are failing to close the gap on DStv Premiership pace-setters Mamelodi Sundowns, who also took over the MTN8 trophy away from them.
