Pirates’ Makhaula embraces mentor role amid World Cup hopes

Orlando Pirates veteran midfield workhorse Makhehleni “Cash” Makhaula expects his club teammates to dominate Bafana Bafana’s squad for the 2026 World Cup.

The 36-year-old said Bucs’ senior players are pushing the club’s array of talented, young emerging players to work harder ahead of the global spectacle.

“We want to see the youngsters go to the World Cup and represent us nicely,” the former AmaZulu star said.

“Probably there will be more players from us [Pirates] who will go to the World Cup. You can see the likes of [centreback Lebone] Seema raising their hands.

“Here we have younger players who are willing to learn. They also listen to the coach and to us as senior players.

“If we don’t push the youngsters, they are not going to do well. They must know there’s ‘Cash’, [captain and Bafana centreback Nkosinathi] Sibisi, [goalkeeper Sipho] Chaine and other senior players who will always be there for them.”

Makhaula, who is expected to play a key role when Betway Premiership leaders Pirates face Polokwane City at Old Peter Mokaba Stadium on Tuesday night (7.30pm), admitted his age could be a stumbling block to his chances of making Bafana coach Hugo Broos’s World Cup squad.

Given his excellent form this season, he has also not completely given up hope of cracking the nod for the tournament to be co-hosted by Mexico, Canada and the US from June 11 to July 19.

“If it happens, it happens — but if it doesn’t happen, I am not going to cry over it because there are a lot of good youngsters in my position who can do the job. It’s good for South African football to go for younger players.”

Our target has always been clear: to do better than last season. Last season we finished on 35 points in position seven, so we must do better than that.

—  Polokwane City coach Phuti Mohafe

At the Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) in Morocco in December and January, Pirates had eight representatives in the Bafana squad: Chaine, Sibisi, Thalente Mbatha, Sipho Mbule, Relebohile Mofokeng, Evidence Makgopa, Tshepang Moremi and Oswin Appollis.

Ahead of Bucs’ visit to Limpopo, Polokwane coach Phuti Mohafe stressed his team’s target this season is to do better than last season’s seventh place in the Premiership.

“Our target has always been clear: to do better than last season. Last season we finished on 35 points in position seven, so we must do better than that,” he said.

Mohafe’s side are back in seventh just past the halfway stage of the 2025-26 season, with 28 points from 18 games.

Pirates are level on 41 points, and in first place on goal difference with eight-time successive champions Mamelodi Sundowns, who meet Lamontville Golden Arrows at Loftus Versfeld on Tuesday in a big night for the title race.

Sowetan