Mokobodi reacts after his masterclass as Pirates breath down Sundowns’ neck
Thapelo Mokobodi has become a big factor at Orlando Pirates despite joining them just before the season started.
The petite midfielder dished out a masterclass performance as a ruthless Pirates dismantled a stubborn Marumo Gallants 2-0 on Sunday. The win pulled the defending champions to within a single point of the summit with a game in hand.
With Thalente Mbatha out injured, Mokobodi has given Abdeslam Ouaddou the balance he needed. And some may have even forgotten Mbatha is currently not in the team.
Mokobodi has quietly been putting together the kind of performances that title challenges are built on.
In Sunday’s game he had two assists, a masterclass in creativity, and not a hint of nerves against a Gallants side rooted to the bottom of the table.
His dinked cross was volleyed home emphatically by Kabelo Kgostlile before the break, then his corner was thundered in by Nkosinathi Sibisi after half-time — a set-piece routine so clinical it looked rehearsed to perfection. Because it was.
“We needed some creativity,” Mokobodi said after the match. “We knew it was going to be difficult, but we know our strengths.
“We know how to create goalscoring opportunities, from corners, from set-pieces, from runs behind, from half-crosses. We prepared for this. It worked for us, even though we could have scored more, I could have scored, I also had a chance.”
Five wins on the bounce now, and Mokobodi was clear about the mindset heading into the FIFA break.
“The coach told us to end on a high note, to collect maximum points,” he added. “We needed to win. Thanks to the fans who came to support us. We really appreciate them, this is for them and for us.”
A title race blown wide open. And a Gallants side, freshly under new coach Ronnie Kanalelo after sacking Phuti Mohafe, left with nothing but a painful reminder of how far off the pace they really are.
The plot thickens fast: the two Betway Premiership heavyweights meet in the MTN8 final on October 10 — and suddenly, that game feels like it means a lot more than just a cup.
