Orlando Pirates have snapped up the signing of Andre De Jong from Stellenbosch. Their options just got a lot deeper.
Which players might suffer because of the New Zealander’s arrival?
Best Orlando Pirates XI with new signing De Jong
29-year-old New Zealander Andre De Jong arrives at Pirates with a reputation for being a number 10 with a good work ethic and tactical intelligence. If we assume he’s an automatic starter, is this how the Bucs starting XI would look? He’s not the most prolific player, with just two goals and an assist this season in the league for Stellies, but he is reliable, having played in all 14 Betway Premiership matches so far.
Chaine; Lebitso, Seema, Sibisi, Ndaba; Nduli, Mbatha; Appollis, De Jong, Mofokeng; Makgopa
This would see attacking midfield trio Tshepang Moremi, Sipho Mbule and Patrick Maswanganyi having to be content with a place on the bench.
Van Rooyen leaving Orlando Pirates?
Right-back Deaon Van Rooyen is now firmly installed as second-choice in the right-back position behind Thabiso Lebitso. Van Rooyen struggled with injuries early in the campaign, but has been an unused substitute in the club’s last three matches. He started against Richards Bay in the Carling Knockout semis, but is regularly overlooked for any big games in the league. He returned to being an unused sub in the Carling Knockout final win.
Bafana’s tormentor in chief
19-year-old Christian Kofane is the name on everyone’s lips after Cameroon’s defeat of Bafana Bafana. Hugo Broos, who coached Cameroon to AFCON glory in 2017, made four changes to his South Africa side, and they didn’t pay off. A formation tweak and a quartet of personnel adjustments weren’t enough to help their leaky defence. Against Cameroon, they were also particularly guilty of spurning chances in the first half. One player who wasn’t wasteful was Bayer Leverkusen prodigy Christian Kofane.
How many alterations would you make to this Orlando Pirates XI?