The defender has rated the Buccaneers’ 2023-24 campaign very highly
Orlando Pirates star Thabiso Monyane believes the Buccaneers had a perfect season despite their struggles in the PSL.
Pirates sealed a back-to-back cup double when they added the Nedbank Cup to the MTN8 won earlier in the season while they were runners-ups in the PSL for a second successive season.
The Soweto giants ended their league campaign with a 23-point gap between them and champions Mamelodi Sundonws but Monyane has declared it a successful campaign for the Sea Robbers despite criticism from some quarters over their inability to challenge Sundowns.
‘I'd give ourselves a solid eight’
“Looking at this season, it's been a rollercoaster of a season. We know we've had our ups and downs. If one was to sum up the season, I'd give ourselves a solid eight. We managed to defend our cups and we are quite happy about that,” Monyane told SABC.
Pirates may have failed to challenge Sundowns in the league but they inflicted cup pain on Masandawana on two occasions, beating them on post-match penalties to win the MTN8 in October, before last weekend’s 2-1 come from behind victory in the Nedbank Cup.
That made it four trophies in two years for the Soweto giants compared to Sundowns’ two league titles over the same period.
Pressure to deliver league success
At a personal level, Monyane played 27 matches for Pirates in the just-concluded season, seven more than he managed in 2022-23 which he terms a plus.
“Obviously, looking at the previous season of which I've been featuring and looking at this season again there is progress and I'm just happy that I'm able to grow as a player. I'm able to be more mature coming into the games and I'm looking forward to next season,” he added.
Following the cup success, Jose Riveiro and his charges will be under pressure to deliver the league title to Orlando Stadium next season after a 12-year wait.
