Orlando Pirates captain Nkosinathi Sibisi has hit back at critics after leading the Buccaneers to the Betway Premiership title this past weekend.
Pirates ended their 14-year wait for league glory with a 2-0 victory over Orbit College to seal a historic triumph.
Throughout the title race against Mamelodi Sundowns, doubts remained over whether Pirates could finally overcome past disappointments and go all the way.
A video that recently went viral showed a Kaizer Chiefs supporter jokingly saying: “Imagine Sibisi lifting the league title.”
Responding to the clip, Sibisi said he was delighted that rival fans ultimately witnessed him lifting the Betway Premiership trophy with Pirates.
“People will always have something to say, it is what it is,” said Sibisi.
“I’m just glad they got to witness Sibisi lifting the trophy. Others said they’ve seen this movie before, but I said let the movie play.”
Sibisi thank Pirates supporters
The Pirates skipper also paid tribute to the club’s supporters for their unwavering backing throughout the campaign.
“They’ve been massive for us during this journey. As a family there will always be fights here and there, but we always move forward together,” he said.
“I think in about 70% of the matches we played, the stadiums were fully packed. Credit to the supporters because they spend their hard-earned money to come and support the boys, and we didn’t disappoint them.”
Sibisi also praised Pirates coach Abdeslam Ouaddou, crediting both his personality and tactical influence for the club’s success this season.
“He’s a top, top human being first and foremost, but also a top coach. It’s been a pleasure working with him,” Sibisi added.
“He has brought in elements that have really helped us, and you can see it from the number of clean sheets we’ve kept and the number of goals we’ve scored.”
