Orlando Pirates legend makes bold Confederation Cup prediction

Former Orlando Pirates midfielder Dumisa Ngobe believes his erstwhile club can go all the way in this season’s Caf Confederation Cup.

Pirates played to a goalless draw away to ES Setif in midweek to get their Confederation Cup campaign underway and will face Enyimba on Wednesday with a chance to leapfrog the Nigerian clb into first place in the group.

Orlando Pirates tipped to win Confed Cup

Enyimba pulled off a massive upset with their 2-1 win over Egyptian giants Al-Ahly in the opening round leaving a tough group delicately poised.

Vincent Dumisa Ngobe (born 5 March 1973 in Witbank, Mpumalanga) is a retired South African football midfielder. He last played for the South Africa national team and works currently as head of development by Mpumalanga Black Aces F.C. Ngobe earned 32 caps and scored 2 goals for South Africa national football team, being selected for 1997 FIFA Confederations Cup, 1998 and 2000 Africa Cup of Nations and 2000 Summer Olympics, the latter as an overaged player. Photo credit: ©Duif du toit / Gallo Images

Despite being drawn in a very tough Group A, Ngobe believes that the current crop of Orlando Pirates players have the quality to replicate the efforts of the class of 1995 who brought home the African Champions Cup, which is now the CAF Champions League

“Yes they will win it, remember the Confederation Cup is not difficult like CAF [Champions League],” Ngobe told KickOff.com.

“You see in CAF ziyabuya baba [it’s no child’s play]. But where they are right now there’s only a few teams who give you serious competition. Remember some of the teams when they lose in CAF they automatically drop to the Confederation Cup. Because at the moment it’s clear the league [PSL title] is going away [from Pirates]. I think they will compensate themselves with the Confederation Cup.”

No brotherhood in Buc’s camp

Ngobe feels that all that is missing from Orlando Pirates is a sense of brotherhood and commitment to the team cause away from the field of play.

“So yes, they will win it to compensate themselves. You know, drawing comparisons between our 1995 Pirates squad and the current one is that… us, we were united. But the current squad are only committed when they are on the field. There’s no brotherhood.

“Only if they can develop a brotherhood, then they will understand what I’m talking about. Even if they are not playing they must visit each other at their homes or anywhere.”

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