SAZI HADEBE | There is more to looking good than a snazzy new kit

You know the football season is about to start when clubs give us a glimpse of their new outfits.

Personally, I hardly pay much attention to the outfits, though I must admit it’s difficult to ignore some of the extraordinary comments on social media by fans on these kits.   

This week I was particularly taken aback by how people reacted to the new Orlando Pirates jersey designed by local fashion designer Thebe Magugu. 

“This idea of persistence is why I decided to treat the iconic skull logo as a maze — to symbolise the long and winding journey the team has travelled to land them here,” was part of Magugu’s comments on Pirates’ latest kit. 

When I first saw the jersey, I thought it was not the real stuff. At best, I thought the new kit may perhaps pass as a training outfit. 

But how wrong I was. The same jersey was confirmed by Magugu early this week. That he had the audacity to hail it as “a tale of perseverance, fighting against the odds to become one of the most recognised (brands) in global sports” means it’s true.   

As I took a closer look at the outfit, I started to appreciate what Magugu was trying to do under trying circumstances, as he had to reserve ample space for the main sponsors’ logo in the middle of the full skull bones on the front of the shirt. 

But as much as I appreciate that not everyone can just wake up and be a fashion designer, the input that fans and players can make in these designs can never be underestimated. 

I believe jerseys play a significant role in inspiring teams to perform. If the players feel comfortable in what they’re wearing they’ll surely be keen on delivering the results on the field. That is what I think designers like Magugu have in mind when they do their work — putting players ahead of everything, even their own creativity. 

Pirates players, having seen and worn their new kit, will now be feel they have to prove on the field that they’re comfortable and that they too embrace Magugu’s work. 

Apart from designing some nice kits, as a football club under the Spanish coach Jose Riveiro, Pirates seem to be taking their core business, which is producing results on the football pitch, serious these days.

Apart from designing some nice kits, as a football club under the Spanish coach Jose Riveiro, Pirates seem to be taking their core business, which is producing results on the football pitch, serious these days. Pirates have won two domestic cup competitions under Riveiro.

That Pirates followed their good performance in the PSL last season with a trip to Spain where they’ve played three intense matches to prepare for the coming campaign shows what they intend to do in the coming season.

And with four trophies to fight for in the 2023-24 campaign, Pirates need to take their business seriously. SA is crying for teams to make the DStv Premiership competitive after Mamelodi Sundowns turned it into a farmer’s league by winning the league titles for the last six seasons. 

In Riveiro Pirates have a coach who is finally paying attention to detail, making sure all bases are covered. 

If you look at Pirates’ goalkeeping department you would have thought Richard Ofori and Siyabonga Mpontshane’s time at Pirates were over. But, despite signing the promising Melusi Buthelezi from TS Galaxy, Riveiro has urged the club to keep Ofori and Mpontshane, just in case the young Buthelezi and Sipho Chaine struggle. It’s a wise decision given the number of matches Pirates will play in the coming season. 

The same has happened in most other positions at Pirates where Riveiro has ensured he has enough cover in case certain players get injured or are suspended during the season.

The decision to take the team to Spain should tell the players and fans of how serious the club is of ending Sundowns’ dominance in the PSL. Given how the Brazilians keep strengthening their team with new players, matching them in the championship will take a lot from any team.

It will again be left to Riveiro to correct the mistakes Pirates made last season where they dropped points to smaller teams, even playing at home in Orlando. 

It is those kinds of details that have kept Sundowns way ahead of everyone in the PSL. Sundowns, for instance, lost a league game at home against Galaxy in August last year, but their recovery was swift. That recovery included beating Kaizer Chiefs 4-0 at home in the next match, and they never looked back after that as they went on and on until they were confirmed as league winners with seven games to spare.

Pirates, on the other hand, threw away points in losses to Chippa United (1-0), Maritzburg United (1-0), Sekhukhune United (2-0) and Cape Town City (2-1). Those defeats, coupled by the fact that they also lost in both rounds of league matches against Sundowns and Chiefs, meant Pirates were not going to be anywhere near catching Sundowns, hence they ended the season trailing the Brazilians by 16 points.

But armed with hindsight and experience, Riveiro will now know that his team will only look good if they improve their consistency and results, not just against Chiefs and Sundowns but against the likes of Chippa, Sekhukhune and City. 

If Pirates do that, I’m sure that the new jersey that even someBucs fans have described as “ugly”, will suddenly look good. The bones in front of that kit would have, indeed, have come together.