As brief and sudden as it may have been, the wait for Mbekezeli Mbokazi’s end to his Orlando Pirates era is finally over, as the muscular defender will finally wave goodbye to the Buccaneers’ die-hard fans today.
Mbokazi will don the famous black and white jersey for the last time when Pirates take on Marumo Gallants in the Carling Knockout final at the Peter Mokaba Stadium, in Polokwane, on Saturday evening.
The question now is, will Mbokazi end his spell at Pirates on a high by lifting the elusive Carling knockout trophy, or will he pack his bags and go to the US in a bittersweet moment?
Mbokazi recently put pen to paper to join Major League Soccer side Chicago Fire on a four-year deal with an option to extend, and will be desperate to really end his time at Pirates with some piece of silverware.
However, Gallants will not make it any easier, as they had to slay big guns en route to the Carling Knockout final.
Bahlabane Ba Ntwa went past the Mamelodi Sundowns hurdle, which was followed by a statement win over defending champions Stellenbosch FC, and eliminated Golden Arrows in their four-goal thriller semi-final clash.
Gallants have also already met and beaten Pirates this season in the Betway Premiership, where they stunned the Sea Robbers 2-1 in front of their home fans at the Orlando Stadium.
That period was the toughest for Jose Riveiro’s successor, Abdeslam Ouaddou, who had a nightmare of a start at his new job from Gallants.
There is no other perfect time to get revenge against your former employers than in a cup final match and etch your name in the history books of Orlando Pirates.
“The team that we’re playing, I know 100% of the team,” Ouaddou said during a press conference building up to the encounter.
“I know what I left there in the club. I know the team spirit that I built there. So, we have to be prepared for that in order to be able to bring this cup to our club.”
Despite claiming the ‘Cup Kings’ tag in recent years, the only cup competition the Buccaneers have struggled in is the Carling Knockout.
Pirates have been to nine knockout cup final competitions but have only managed to win it once, and that was in 2011 against the now-defunct Bidvest Wits.
Having already won the MTN8 early this season and currently occupying the top spot in the league, Ouaddou’s charges will want to utilise their winning momentum and topple the fearless Gallants.
