Orlando Pirates star sets sights on World Cup starting place in Qatar

While the strong possibility of featuring in his first Fifa World Cup excites Orlando Pirates goalkeeper Richard Ofori, the Ghanaian international maintains his focus is solely on his club at the moment.

Ofori has reason to keep his eye on Pirates' prize as Bucs will face Kaizer Chiefs on Saturday in an Absa Premiership fixture that will see the first spectators attending a Soweto derby in two years due to Covid-19, with 93,000 people expected at the sold-out game at FNB Stadium.

Ghana is one of five African nations to play in the 2022 World Cup in Qatar next month.

Ofori, once the Ghanaian No 1, seems sure to be in the Black Stars' final squad but is not guaranteed game time.

Jojo Wollacott of League One Charlton Athletic was Ghana's goalkeeper as they crashed out of the Africa Cup of Nations in the first round in January. In a sign that coach Otto Addo is still making up his mind on his No 1, four keepers have been used in this year's warm-up matches to the World Cup, with Ofori one of those.

The goalkeeper is likely to be the only Premier Soccer League-based player at the world showpiece, which kicks off on November 20 and ends on December 18.

Ofori said being part of the World Cup is the dream of any athlete and he is no different, but he knows that for him to play in Qatar against top nations Portugal, Uruguay and South Korea in Group H, he has to do well for Pirates.

“The most important thing for me is Orlando Pirates because you work with your club on a daily basis and the national team is based on what you do for the club,” he said.

“So for me, at the moment I don’t really think about the national team because if you are not fit for your club you will go to the national team and mentally you will be weak.

“The most important thing is I need to perform and do my best at the club so that when they call you, you know you are ready.

“The World Cup is the biggest stage. It’s every young player's dream to play in a World Cup. But for me, at the moment, I’m thinking about the club and how I can help them achieve the success we planned for the season.”

Ofori has been the first choice goalkeeper at Pirates since joining from Maritzburg United two years ago.

He has missed the Buccaneers' previous two games due to injury. “I started training last Thursday and Sunday and also on Monday, so everything is going really well and I’m recovering nicely. I hope to be in the squad for the derby.”

In his absence, Siyabonga Mpontshane was entrusted with goal-minding duties and kept clean sheets against Golden Arrows and Mamelodi Sundowns.  

“The most important thing is that we fight as a team, we win as a team,” Ofori said.

“I always say I mostly don’t compete — everywhere I go, I compete with myself and that is what I always do.

“It doesn’t matter who plays, the most important thing is at the end of the day we make the [Bucs] family proud.”

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