Orlando Pirates co-coach Fadlu Davids has insisted the Buccaneers have a bright future in terms of goalkeepers, with both Elson Sithole and Kopano Thuntsane being future Nr.1s for the club.
Siyabonga Mpontshane has featured in the last few games for the Buccaneers, while Richard Ofori was sidelined with injury.
Davids explained that the club is building players for the future, while also working in the now and need to look at finding the right balance between youth and experience.
“I come back to my initial statement about building the team, ticking the box in relation to how is the player, how is handling himself within the group,” Davids told the media.
“Is he on time, does he have discipline issues, what is his whole profile as not only a player [but] human being? Do you see him in that regard as a future of the club?
“At this moment you building not only for the process, long-term for next season, for the seasons to come but also getting results now. That balance is important.”
He then explained that both Sithole and Thuntsane have what it takes to step up to the first when the right moment comes.
“But coming back to the development of these two goalkeepers. We are really blessed to have both of them. Kopano at the moment is injured. He will undergo his four-week rehabilitation plan to strengthen some deficits to help him in the long term. He has played in the first round more matches than Ayanda,” Davids added.
“Ayanda has really shown maturity and a huge growth in this six months working under our goalkeeper coach, taken huge steps to be very close to the first team.
“Both of them took those steps. Kopano unfortunately the moment is injured, but [we’re] not afraid as coaches to give the youth an opportunity and playing – whether it’s a Soweto Derby, whether it’s against Mamelodi Sundowns, whether it’s CAF Confederations Cup, that’s why both of them are registered for CAF as well.
“Both of them taking fantastic steps in terms of their development and both of them are definitely future goalkeepers of Orlando Pirates. It’s about us finding the right moment. It’s about us not throwing them in at the deep end when they’re not able to handle it and then you take five steps in terms of their development.
“Both are in a similar age group, in a similar age bracket. They’re not only in competition with Ofori, Mpontshane and Sandilands – three experienced goalkeeper that they can learn of every day. They can compete against them but they can also compete against each other.
“Both have a bright future and when the right moment comes you’ll see them on the pitch, that’s for sure.”
