Appollis: A Prophet And A Playmaker For Pirates
Orlando Pirates attacker Oswin Appollis says he knew he would win a trophy the day he signed for the club.
It didn’t take long for his prediction to come true, as Pirates defeated Stellenbosch 3-0 in the MTN8 final at Mbombela Stadium on Saturday, securing the first trophy of the season just two months in.
Appollis came off the bench and immediately impacted the game. He delivered a superb cross to the six-yard box, setting up Tshepang Moremi for the first goal. After Moremi assisted Tshegofatso Mabasa for the second goal, Appollis was key to the third, which completely sealed the victory against Steve Barker’s side.
Appollis won possession by intercepting a loose pass from defender Henri Stanic. With the Stellenbosch defense scrambling, he saw Moremi making a run behind the defense and calmly passed the ball into the empty net.
A Striker’s Mindset
The Bafana Bafana international, who was linked with several clubs both locally and abroad, ended the speculation by signing with the Soweto Giants from Polokwane City in June.
“The day I signed [for Pirates] I always knew that I was going to win a trophy,” Appollis said. “And it happened, and I’m very happy.”
This belief is a core part of coach Abdelsam Ouaddou’s philosophy. The coach refers to his players on the bench not as substitutes but as “impact players.”
It was a masterstroke to see Appollis, Moremi, and Mabasa all come in to change a game that Pirates had struggled to find the openings.
“Those who are sitting on the bench, we always think about what we are going to do when we come in,” explained Appollis, who was winning his first-ever trophy.
“We don’t call ourselves substitutions; we call ourselves impact players, and that is what we did. Credit has to go to the whole team.”
The victory marked a record-extending MTN8 trophy for Pirates, as they won for the fourth time in a row. They are now just one title behind Kaizer Chiefs’ all-time record of 15 top-eight trophies, a record Chiefs haven’t added to since 2014.
