Pirates coach Riveiro hails Ndlondlo’s man-of-the-match display against Sundowns

03 October 2022 - 08:39
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Andile Jali of Mamelodi Sundowns with Ndabayithethwa Ndlondlo of Orlando Pirates during the 2022 MTN8 semifinal first leg match at Orlando Stadium on October 1 2022.
Andile Jali of Mamelodi Sundowns with Ndabayithethwa Ndlondlo of Orlando Pirates during the 2022 MTN8 semifinal first leg match at Orlando Stadium on October 1 2022.
Image: Muzi Ntombela/BackpagePix

Orlando Pirates coach Jose Riveiro surprised Mamelodi Sundowns by including Monnapule Saleng and Ndabayithethwa Ndlondlo in his starting line, and both did not disappoint in Saturday's MTN8 first leg semifinal match.

Ndlondlo, making his debut after been signed from Marumo Gallants on the last day of the transfer window just under two weeks ago, protected and distributed the ball well at Orlando Stadium and played like a seasoned midfielder who has spent time in the Buccaneers shirt. His performance earned him a deserved man-of-the-man award.

Saleng, who returned from loan at Swallows FC in the off-season, was a surprise partner for Zakhele Lepasa in Bucs’ attack and unlucky to see his free kick hit the post in the 12th minute. Saleng held his own and troubled Sundowns with his pace and slick turns as he also made his Buccaneers debut.

MTN8 Cup | Orlando Pirates vs. Mamelodi Sundowns | Highlights

Riveiro said both players’ performance justified the technical team’s decision to start them in a high pressure game. 

“I’m not going to individualise the players but you can have your idea if you take a look at our squad. You see the names, you see the capacity, the experience and everything we have,” he said when asked why he decided to start with Saleng.

“Saleng is in the starting XI and I think it’s easy to understand how good the guy is. It’s because of his training, performance and how much he can help us.”

Ndlondlo, the smallest player on the field, linked up well with midfield partners Goodman Mosele and Miguel Timm, and was the player who looked a threat to Sundowns operating on the left side of midfield.

“Yes, same case,” Riveiro said about Ndlondlo.

“I don’t believe in individual trophies and stuff like that.

“I’m happy for the boy because it’s not easy to arrive in a place like Pirates with this level of demand, or our own demand,  how much we demand of ourselves every day.

“I think he has been fantastic since he arrived. That’s the reason we had confidence to play him in the starting XI.

“I don’t think you [the media] discovered Ndlondlo today. He’s a player who has really proved his value in the league and his capacity to play football. When you have a good structure and good players around, you can even look better.

“I think his adaptation was very quick and that’s why we chose to have him in the starting XI. But as I said before the game, we choose the players who we feel are going to help us to execute the game plan and not the players we like more. We try to choose what we need."

Pirates will play league games against Sekhukhune United (October 4), Richards Bay (October 8), AmaZulu (October 14) and Golden Arrows (October 18) before turning their attention to the second leg against the Brazilians on October 22 in Polokwane.


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