“Players fear Mpumi, not Irvin” Hack praises Pirates succession, says Motaung kids “are trying”
Veteran football administrator Raymond Hack has dropped a sharp assessment of South Africa’s biggest clubs, praising Orlando Pirates’ succession plan while delivering a pointed line on Kaizer Chiefs.
Speaking on the Arena Sports Show, Hack said Pirates players now fear Mpumi Khoza more than they fear his father, Dr Irvin Khoza.
“If you could ask any Orlando Pirates player right now who he is scared of, he will say Mpumi Khoza. Not Irvin,” Hack said. “Mpumi is a tiny little guy, but he is providing decisive leadership in that place. He is dealing with millions of rands worth of players and running them with a nice iron fist.”
He also called Nkosana Khoza “brilliant” in the club’s marketing division. Then came the comparison.
“Kaizer’s kids are trying though everyone is involved everywhere,” Hack said.
The remark lands as a contrast: at Pirates the lines of authority appear clear, with Mpumi running the football side with an iron fist and Nkosana handling marketing. At Chiefs, Hack suggested, the next generation is involved but the roles are more mixed.
He was more complimentary about Mamelodi Sundowns, saying Tlhopie Motsepe is “brilliant”.
Hack, a key figure in the 1985 breakaway that created the NSL, framed the comments as proof that proper succession matters. At Pirates, he argued, the plan is already visible on the training ground: the players know exactly who they answer to.