Ex-Pirates forward on why Bucs still do not have depth to challenge Sundowns

While Orlando Pirates have been termed as a team that now has enough quality in depth to challenge Mamelodi Sundowns in the PSL, one of their former players thinks otherwise.

Pirates’ title credentials were checked by Sundowns, who beat them 2-1 on Wednesday, to close in on the title race as they are now just three points behind the league leaders and still with a game in hand.

Former Pirates and Sundowns forward Katlego Mashego thinks the Brazilians still have no equals given what he witnessed when the two sides played on Wednesday.

The man popularly known as Mahoota says he did not see any match winners on the Pirates’ bench when they played Sundowns while Miguel Cardoso’s team had so many weapons among the substitutes.

Mashego on why Pirates can’t match Sundowns

“I did not see anyone from the Orlando Pirates bench that I would say would come in and influence a match,” Mashego said on Metro FM’s Sports Nights Amplified with Andile Ncube.

“I could not see a super-sub in the team. [Tshepang] Moremi plays on the left wing and he was probably going to come up and play against Mudau, one of the best right-backs in South Africa and Africa.

“I looked at the bench and said if Pirates were going to get anything in this game, they have to do it with the 11 that they started with because if you looked the other side and flip the coin, they [Sundowns] have an [Marcelo] Allende who came in and just took the game by the scurf of the neck.

Who was on the bench for the title rivals?

“He [Allende] just starved every one of the ball and made Sundowns play and by that time, they were just managing the game and let it die.”

 Mashego’s words will likely ignite debate given this is the season when Pirates have looked remarkably improved after bringing in over 10 players in the off-season before adding three more in January.

On Wednesday, Pirates’ bench had Moremi, Andre de Jong, Sipho Mbule and Daniel Msendami as their potential game changers while Sundowns had Allende, Themba Zwane, Miguel Reisinho, Lebo Mothiba, Peter Shalulile and Kutlwano Lethlaku among the substitutes.