Orlando Pirates defender Tapelo Xoki says his ambition is to help add a second star at the club and end the dominance of Mamelodi Sundowns in the DStv Premiership.
The 27-year-old joined the club in the off-season from AmaZulu, where he emerged as one of the most consistent defenders in the South African top-flight over his six-year stint in KwaZulu Natal.
Pirates managed to lure him to Mayfair where he now has his sights on bigger ambitions, with the burning desire to lift the Buccaneers towards the historic success of the past – as it’s a club that inspired him towards his professional football journey.
“There’s so much the club has achieved before my arrival here. So I can’t say I will achieve something the club hasn’t,” the Cape Town-born talent told Pirates TV.
“So for me, it will mean a lot to add a second star, to be in a group where you are regarded amongst the greats because even now, to this day, people will never stop talking about the 1995 squad.
“They won the Champions League. And I believe with the squad we have, [within] two, three seasons, it is possible. We’re not in the Champions League this season but we have a chance to correct that and next season going forward.
“So if I could be [amongst] those names that could be great for me, that’s the legacy I’m aiming for. But to get to that, we need to [also] win the league, we have to stop the dominance of Sundowns. If we can be the group that’s remembered for stopping the dominance of the current champions – that will also mean a lot.”
Zoki has featured in five of the eight games played this season under head coach Jose Riveiro, slotting on the right side of the back-three, a position he’s competing with Nigeria international Olisa Ndah for in the starting line-up.
