By KOPANO MONAHENG
When the football world seemed to be turning its back on Orlando Pirates forward Yanela Mbuthuma, one man continued to believe in the young attacker.
That man was Pirates coach Abdeslam Ouaddou, who appeared to know that the boy would eventually turn the corner and start banging in goals for his team.
And on Saturday afternoon, Mbuthuma gave his coach a glimpse of what he can do if kept on the pitch a little bit longer.
Pirates produced another impressive performance, beating Kruger United 4-0 at Mbombela Stadium, with Mbuthuma coming off the bench to score twice in the 78th and 91st minutes. The victory also continued Pirates’ impressive defensive run.
Ouaddou admitted that his team did not play exactly as planned, particularly in the first half, but praised his players for finding a way to win.
“Sometimes we didn’t play like we wanted, but at least we came away with the result we wanted,” said Ouaddou.
He praised Kruger United for their aggression and admitted that Pirates struggled physically in the opening stages.
But the Buccaneers defended well, remained patient and eventually punished Kruger on the counter.
For Mbuthuma, the night was even more special.
His confidence had been growing, particularly after he provided two assists against Sekhukhune United over the weekend. Against Kruger, he took that confidence to another level, becoming the darling of his teammates and supporters.
The excitement on the youngster’s face after finding the back of the net was unmistakable.
Football is a game of confidence, and sometimes all a player needs is someone in his corner saying, I believe in you.
That is exactly what Ouaddou has shown Mbuthuma.
Kruger United coach Abram Mongoya congratulated Pirates but insisted his team had competed strongly.
“We dominated the game,” Mongoya said, believing Kruger created enough opportunities but lacked the clinical edge of their opponents.
For Mbuthuma, however, the message is clear: his boots have answered his critics.
Now the challenge is to keep that fire burning.
Images by: Orlando Pirates FC
