Winning the Nedbank Cup, his first piece of silverware in the professional ranks in what was also his maiden cup final against Mamelodi Sundowns, has inspired Orlando Pirates midfielder Thalente Mbatha to remain hungry for more trophies.
Mbatha, who’s on loan at Pirates from SuperSport United, put in a man of the match display as the Buccaneers outwitted the Brazilians 2-1 in the Ke Yona Cup decider at Mbombela Stadium on Saturday.
“This was a very special game for me because it was my first cup final. Winning this Nedbank Cup inspires me a lot... to win more trophies going forward. This cup has made me believe that it’s possible to achieve your dreams if you have the right attitude,” Mbatha said after the game, where Relebohile Mofokeng netted deep into stoppage time to ensure Pirates defend their Nedbank Cup.
Mbatha’s loan spell at Pirates expires at the end of the month, having arrived in January on a six-month deal. The lad from KwaMashu has admitted that he’d love to continue at Pirates, albeit he knows it's up to the club to decide if they exercise the option to buy him.
“I am not sure what will happen but my agent [Mike Makaab] is the one who's going to sit down with both clubs and decide. Pirates have the option to buy me, so it's up to them as well. Yes I'd want to stay but at the end of the day it's not up to me,'' the 24-year-old Mbatha said.
Mbatha was also convinced that Sundowns were a bit scared of them and vice versa. “We are also a big team, so as much as we were intimidated by Sundowns, they were also intimidated by us. They were also scared and didn't know what was going to happen.''
Mbatha is pleased with his overall season but knows he can still improve, especially by scoring and assisting more. Mbatha scored just one goal and managed two assists from 21 games for both SuperSport and Pirates in the 2023/24 season.
“I think I've done pretty well but I still need to do more. I think I can still score more goals and assist other players,'' Mbatha said.
Mbatha hungry for more trophies after Ke Yona success
On-loan star waits to hear if he'll stay put at Bucs
Image: Dirk Kotze
Winning the Nedbank Cup, his first piece of silverware in the professional ranks in what was also his maiden cup final against Mamelodi Sundowns, has inspired Orlando Pirates midfielder Thalente Mbatha to remain hungry for more trophies.
Mbatha, who’s on loan at Pirates from SuperSport United, put in a man of the match display as the Buccaneers outwitted the Brazilians 2-1 in the Ke Yona Cup decider at Mbombela Stadium on Saturday.
“This was a very special game for me because it was my first cup final. Winning this Nedbank Cup inspires me a lot... to win more trophies going forward. This cup has made me believe that it’s possible to achieve your dreams if you have the right attitude,” Mbatha said after the game, where Relebohile Mofokeng netted deep into stoppage time to ensure Pirates defend their Nedbank Cup.
Mbatha’s loan spell at Pirates expires at the end of the month, having arrived in January on a six-month deal. The lad from KwaMashu has admitted that he’d love to continue at Pirates, albeit he knows it's up to the club to decide if they exercise the option to buy him.
“I am not sure what will happen but my agent [Mike Makaab] is the one who's going to sit down with both clubs and decide. Pirates have the option to buy me, so it's up to them as well. Yes I'd want to stay but at the end of the day it's not up to me,'' the 24-year-old Mbatha said.
Mbatha was also convinced that Sundowns were a bit scared of them and vice versa. “We are also a big team, so as much as we were intimidated by Sundowns, they were also intimidated by us. They were also scared and didn't know what was going to happen.''
Mbatha is pleased with his overall season but knows he can still improve, especially by scoring and assisting more. Mbatha scored just one goal and managed two assists from 21 games for both SuperSport and Pirates in the 2023/24 season.
“I think I've done pretty well but I still need to do more. I think I can still score more goals and assist other players,'' Mbatha said.
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