“No Maradona Or Pele Here”: How Krieling Rebuilt Pirates Into DDC Champions
Orlando Pirates reserve coach Roscoe Krieling has hailed the discipline behind the Buccaneers’ first-ever DStv Diski Challenge title, having finished the 2025/26 season with a record-breaking 75 points, surpassing the previous milestone set by Kaizer Chiefs.
Pirates were crowned DDC champions for the first time since the competition was introduced in the 2014/15 season after defeating rivals Mamelodi Sundowns in their final league match over the weekend.
The Soweto giants finished the campaign on 75 points, breaking the previous record of 70 points set by arch-rivals Chiefs last season, when they became the first side to reach that milestone in the competition.
The achievement marked a dream debut campaign for Krieling, who joined Pirates at the start of the season following the sale of SuperSport United’s status to Siwelele FC. He replaced club legend Joseph Makhanya, who was moved to Pirates’ ABC Motsepe League side.
Krieling arrived at Pirates with extensive coaching experience, having worked across various levels of South African football. Before joining the Buccaneers, he guided SuperSport United to the DDC title in the 2022/23 season, and he believes his journey through the ranks has shaped his approach to player management.
“Look, at the end of the day, I think one of my strengths is managing players,” said Krieling.
“I’m probably one of the few coaches in South Africa who has coached at every level — from community-based football, where I even won the Regional League, to the ABC Motsepe League, Motsepe Foundation Championship, Betway Premiership, and the Gauteng Development League.
“When you coach young players, you learn how to manage every age group. Nowadays, it’s about understanding what makes these kids tick.
“One thing I noticed when I arrived at Pirates was the amount of talent in the squad, and the players quickly understood that I don’t tolerate nonsense. If you think you are Maradona or Pele, it won’t work here. We will leave you out until you realise you want to be part of the team.
“I like building teams — that is a big part of who I am. If you watched us throughout the season, you would have seen a united side that defended together and attacked together.”
Krieling also praised his players for adapting to different tactical demands throughout the season, insisting that modern footballers must be versatile to succeed at the highest level.
“I think when you have players who are willing to listen and adapt to the tactics given to them, you can integrate any player into the system. Modern footballers must be able to play in different positions, and that’s very important,” he added.
“When Oratile Rantasi arrived during pre-season, he could only play on the left wing. I told him there was no way he was going to play only on the left. He started most games on the right wing and even earned a Man-of-the-Match award there last week.
“It’s encouraging to see the boys doing well, and I would like to see them progress to the first team and compete for opportunities there instead of returning to the DDC next season.
“I believe those who are not immediately promoted to the first team should go out on loan and expose themselves to a higher level of football because they have now outgrown the DDC.”
