Mbule Admits To Disappointing Start
Orlando Pirates midfielder Sipho Mbule has revealed that the team’s opening-day loss to Sekhukhune United was a disappointing start to the season.
He admitted that while Pirates had chances, Sekhukhune capitalized on their single opportunity.
Pirates suffered a rare opening league home defeat at Orlando Stadium on Saturday, losing 1-0 to Sekhukhune. Siphesihle Mkhize scored the winning goal in the 48th minute with a close-range shot. Mbule had a quiet game, playing in patches before being substituted in the 58th minute for Abdoulaye Mariko.
The loss puts significant pressure on Pirates, who are now near the bottom of the table with zero points after one match.
However, Mbule, a two-time league winner with Mamelodi Sundowns, is not overly concerned. He believes it’s still early in the season and the team has plenty of time to recover.
“I think our first match was not that great; we played in patches,” he said.
“We created some chances, but I think we weren’t clinical enough. It’s not the best start for us, but I think it’s something we will learn from. We told ourselves that nobody is going to come here and dominate us. They didn’t dominate us, but they got one chance, and they capitalized on it.”
Mbule concluded by emphasizing the need for the team to regroup. “It’s more about going back to the drawing board, looking at the game again, and seeing where we can improve.”
Pirates will aim to secure their first points of the season when they visit Marumo Gallants at Dr. Petrus Molemela Stadium on Tuesday (19:30).
