Xoki hoping Pirates will finally ‘go over the line’ and win title

Xoki is hoping that Pirates will not be the Brazilians’ “bridesmaids” this season.

Orlando Pirates defender Tapelo Xoki believes that the Buccaneers are in a better position to finally break Mamelodi Sundowns dominance in the league and win the title this season.The Buccaneers currently lead the Betway Premiership standings with 51 points after 22 games. They edge the Brazilians by one point, but Sundowns have a game in hand.Having finished as runners-up to Sundowns over the past three seasons, Xoki is hoping that Pirates will not be the Brazilians’ “bridesmaids” this season.
“For us, it’s not to look on the outside; but on the processes within. We just need to follow those processes well,” said Xoki, during the handover ceremony at the Zodwa Khoza Foundation in Diepkloof, Soweto, on Wednesday afternoon.

‘We’ll give it our all’

As the MTN8 champions, Pirates were at the centre to deliver laptops and other educational tools as part of the MTN8 Goals for Charity Funds Disbursement.

“We are happy with the process that we are in at the moment: we have already won two trophies. So, we’ll push till the last game in the league.

“Hopefully, we’ll get over the line because that’s the one trophy that has eluded us over the years. We’ll give it our all to ensure that we win it.
“The league is a marathon and we’ve gained experience over the past few seasons in terms of understanding the dynamics of how to get over the line. It’s been a build-up of the past few years and we’re in a good position now that we’ve learned our lessons,” added Xoki.

Xoki issues injury update

Meanwhile, Xoki has issued the latest update on his injury, revealing that he’s working with the team physios to return to full fitness.

“I’m grateful for life, by the way, but I’m grateful for our physios as well, and I’m grateful to everyone at the club who supported me throughout the journey. So, I’m busy with rehab currently, and it’s going well. I’m just taking it one game at a time,” said Xoki.Xoki suffered the injury during a road accident on the R21 highway while returning from Gqeberha after a 3-0 victory over Chippa United in September last year.
He was part of a group that included head coach Abdeslam Ouaddou that had stopped to assist at the scene of a collision when another vehicle struck the stationary cars, leaving them and other individuals seriously injured.