Makhehlene Makhaula a great addition to Pirates, says teammate Tapelo Xoki

Orlando Pirates defender Tapelo Xoki says his former AmaZulu FC teammate Makhehlene Makhaula is a great addition to the Soweto giants.

Makhaula joined Pirates recently after penning a pre-contract that would have seen him link up with Sea Robbers ahead of next season.

However, Usuthu and Buccaneers agreed to fast-track the move.

Xoki, who moved from Usuthu to Pirates at the beginning of this campaign, is looking forward to playing alongside Makhaula.

He believes his strong leadership and will to win will see the former Free State Stars man thrive at the Sea Robbers.

“I played with Cash (Makhaula) recently. Just a few months back he was my leader there,” Xoki said.

“He brings leadership, winning mentality, he is a very huge competitor as well, so he is going to bring a lot of that to the team.

“I’m looking forward to working with him (again), integrating him with other guys and making sure he settles in well and helps the team to achieve its targets.”

While it’s unclear whether Makhaula will feature against Mamelodi Sundowns this weekend, the player has been training with the team since Wednesday.

With him, Pirates now have excellent depth in the middle of the park, where they already have Miguel Timm, Goodman Mosele, Ben Motshwari and Thabang Monare.

Pirates’ supporters will also be eager to see if new Cameroonian striker Souaibou Marou will finally get a chance to play.

The highly rated player was part of the Cameroon national team that featured in the 2022 Fifa World Cup in Qatar.

Ndumiso Mabena is another player who is yet to see the field after re-signing with the Soweto giants.

Pirates will host the unstoppable Masandawana in a DStv Premiership clash at Orlando Stadium on Saturday (3.30pm).

It's an eye-catching clash, as both teams are doing well, with Sundowns having won 14 matches in a row.

Pirates have also shown excellent form, winning three consecutive games, beating Golden Arrows, Stellenbosch FC and Marumo Gallants.