Orlando Pirates interim coach Mandla Ncikazi reserved special praise for debutant goalkeeper Siyabonga Dladla after his performance in a 1–0 victory over SuperSport United.
Dladla, making his senior debut in place of regular stopper Sipho Chaine, kept a clean sheet and impressed with his composure under pressure.
“I’m happy for the young players that we’ve given an opportunity to. Another one that we gave today was Siya, the goalkeeper. He had a good performance,” Ncikazi told the media.
“We are playing game No 50 and we know that physically it was going to tell towards the end and we had that in mind, but I’m just proud that the players pulled through.”
The win was Orlando Pirates’ 19th of the season, setting a new record for most wins in a single campaign during the PSL era.
The result also guaranteed the Buccaneers a second-place finish in the league and secured qualification for next season’s CAF Champions League.
The only goal of the match came in the second half through Mohau Nkota, whose clinical finish sealed the three points for Pirates in a tightly contested encounter.
Ncikazi also praised other youngsters who featured in the match, underlining the club’s commitment to developing talent while remaining competitive at the highest level.