Collins Mbesuma: The former Chief who saved Pirates when they needed it most

Double trouble: Collins Mbesuma has scored twice, twice

“It’s not going to be easy because Orlando Pirates have good strikers. But I will do my best.”

Those were the words uttered by Collins Mbesuma when he signed on the dotted line for Dr Irvin Khoza on August 15, 2012, a full seven years after leaving the employ of the Iron Duke’s arch-rival Kaizer Motaung.

A quick refresher course: way back in 2004/2005 Mbesuma – then barely out of his teens - scored a record 39 goals in all competitions to help Ted Dumitru’s Amakhosi pip the Bucs to the PSL title. The lad from Luanshya was hailed as the next big thing to come out of Africa.

But the European dream didn’t quite work out. Mbesuma, though wanted by Sam Allardyce at Blackburn Rovers, chose a notoriously dodgy transfer to Portsmouth, where he played just four games before things fell apart at Fratton Park.

That was followed by a loan move to Portugal’s Maritimo and an unhappy spell with Bursaspor in Turkey, where his time-keeping was called in to question amid a welter of suspensions.

Mbesuma returned to South Africa in 2008 and tried his hand with Mamelodi Sundowns and Moroka Swallows before finding his feet again at Golden Arrows in Lamontville, where he played 43 games and scored 18 goals to attract the attention of Dr Khoza and his man with the cheque book, Screamer Tshabalala.

Nobody expected much from the experienced feet (and head) of the 28-year-old Zambian, who played only a minor role in his nation’s historic African Cup of Nations triumph last year.

Mbesuma’s best days were behind him, we were told. And they came in the gold-an-black half of Soweto. In that emotional Zambian AFCON triumph last year, Mbesuma played a total of 42 minutes, he was written off as past it and lacking commitment.

He arrived at Pirates as Augusto Palacios’s final signing, saying: “I will just have to prove myself. I want to be successful with Pirates and win things with them. I think I need competition and I know Pirates is a big team so I just want to compete.”

Compete? He’s done more than that. A lot more. With Tokelo Rantie inexplicably allowed to slip away and Takesure Chinayama and Benni McCarthy injured, Mbesuma has proved the unlikely saviour for the new Bucs coaching duo of Roger de Sa and Eric Tinkler.

When they needed inspiration while trailing promoted upstarts AmaTuks 1-0 at Loftus Versfeld a fortnight ago, it was Mbesuma who provided the goals either side of Andile Jali’s penalty to seal a much-needed 3-1 PSL victory against the unbeaten students.

And when they came up against lively Leopards in the Telkom Knock-out on Saturday, there he was again, striking both goals in a 2-0 triumph which left most people raving about the form of Lehlogonolo “Vieira” Masalesa and Sifiso Myeni, both De Sa products from his Clever Boys days.

Yes, De Sa can claim some credit for his former Witsies, but without Mbesuma’s goals, where exactly would Pirates be right now?

With last season’s top-scorer McCarthy approaching fitness and Chinyama also due to return, De Sa has only praise for Mbesuma’s unexpected revival: "I have never doubted Mbesuma's scoring abilities. We are working on improving his fitness and he is making progress. He is showing a lot of commitment and has been doing a lot of work after training."

Mbesuma bubbles: “I must thank Irvin Khoza for giving me a chance to play for Pirates when most of the experts were doubting my ability.

“I feel I have regained my old confidence and I am playing alongside players who can make my job easier, it makes me proud to play for Pirates.”

Question is: with Mbesuma scoring four goals in two games – and another in a friendly during the international break – will there be room anybody else against AmaZulu on Sunday?

A shortened version of this story appeared as my Neal & Pray column in The New Age newspaper today. See www.thenewage.co.za every Tuesday...

Pirates sign six: including Nigeria's answer to Mario Balotelli

Always a Pirate: Onyekachi Okonkwo

ORLANDO PIRATES have re-signed Nigeria’s answer to Mario Balotelli – the tough-talking, ref-threatening, contract-breaking Onyekachi Okonkwo.

The big Irvin Khoza press conference was everything Buccaneers fans might have hoped for with SIX new players added to the double-treble champions’ squad in a single stroke – and the promise of “more to come” from the Iron Duke.

But hold on… what happened to the Zimbabwean striker Takesure Chinyama, just a medical short of signing for the Sea Robbers last week? Up north, they were telling us he was leaving Dynamos after being offered R100,000-a-month to join the South African champions.

Instead, we were offered midfielder Onekachi Donatus Okonkwo who begins his second spell in Soweto after leaving the club in 2007 in the days before silverware came in threes.

“Tico”, who has spent the last five years scoring goals in the contrasting surroundings of Switzerland and Qatar, grinned: “Once a Pirates, always a Pirate, that’s what they always say!

“Even when I was playing overseas with FC Zurich and Al Kharaitiyat, I always stayed in touch with the chairman.”

In a move which has distinct parallels with the return of Siyabonga Nkosi to Kaizer Chiefs, Okonkwo, at 30 the same age as Nkosi, adds: “This club has always been close to my heart. I’m looking forward to playing in front of the Ghost again.

“But although I’ve played here before, to come back to Pirates after five years abroad will be  challenge - it’s a completely different to the team I left behind in 2007. But Augusto Palacios is still here!”

Okonkwo is yet another cog in the machine Khoza is putting together to make a real run at the African Champions League next season – he won it with Nigeria's Enyimba as a youngster in 2003 and 2004. He also scored against his old club when Pirates reached the semi-finals in 2006.

But Okonkwo doesn’t come without a reputation for Balotelli-style controversy. In August 2006, during a Telkom Charity Cup match against Bloemfontein Celtic, Okonkwo was red-carded but refused to go, threatening to beat up referee Daniel Bennett. He was eventually dragged off by his Pirates team-mates. He also had a reputation for going AWOL when he went on various trials in Europe.

When he went to Europe, “Tico” had signed a pre-contract agreement with German side FC Koln but after a week, he disappeared and signed a four-year deal at Swiss side FC Zurich.

Okonkwo said he only agreed to a trial at Koln with their sporting director Klaus Horstmann threatening to take the matter to FIFA.

He joined Al Kharitiyath in the summer of 2010 and sad yesterday: “I did have options after Qatar in France and Belgium but European football can be stressful. This is where it started for me, and I'm happy to be back home.

“This club has always been close to my heart. I'm happy to be here where I can hopefully finish off my career.”

The press conference also starred five other players who have signed three-year deals for Pirates.

Patrick Phungwayo, signed from Wits (the Clever Boys are soon to be know as the Intellegent Older Gentlemen), young Khethowakhe Masuku from Black Leopards, Siya Mngoma from Amatuks plus Free States Stars duo Ayanda Gcaba and Manti Moholo. Quite what’s happening with Bloemfontein Celtic’ centre-back Eric Mathoho remains mystery, though Pirates have withdrawn their interest as Chiefs and Sundowns battle it out for the Tower.

Gcaba said: “I will always be grateful to Stars, I’d been there four years and they allowed me to move on. I'm looking forward to the challenge ahead.”

The Iron Duke told us: “We have had protected discussions over the last six months, with Isaac Chansa leaving (for China), we felt that it was important to replace him.

“We can't reveal secrets... we are still the best in the market, those who desire happiness and success must be prepared for war.

“Everybody is reinforcing. We are not done yet.

“There are still more players signing.”

Okonkwo’s career in a nutshell:

2004-2007       Orlando Pirates              43 games, 3 goals

2007-2010       FC Zurich                      62      (2)

2010-2012       Al Kharitiyath                 39      (5)

2006-2008       Nigeria                            9       (0)

His Christian name Onyekachi, means "Who is greater than his godly guarding?" 

As Pirates and Sundowns swoop, returning Nkosi talks to Amakhosi

Danke Siyabonga: Nkosi during his German playing days

ON the day that Orlando Pirates and Mamelodi Sundowns secured expensive reinforcements from the north, Kaizer Chiefs fans are welcoming back a talent from a little closer to home.

The Buccaneers announced the arrival of Zimbabwe striker Takesure Chinyama from Dynamos on a salary of R100,000-a-month – significantly more than the R70,000 Chiefs general manager Bobby Motaung offered Free States Stars for their top-scorer Edward Manqele last week – and Mamelodi Sundowns are believed to be paying nearly twice that to lure Ghana’s Under 20 captain Mumuni Abubaker to Chloorkop after he failed a trial at Liverpool.

But while the anxious Amakhosi await the outcome of a board meeting at Free State Stars to find out Manqele’s future – Sundowns apparently doubled Bobby’s offer - it is the return of Siyabonga Nkosi which has the goal-and-black all a-twitter with excitement.

Newcastle-born Nkosi, who started his footballing life at Bloemfontein Celtic, before first moving to Chiefs in 2006 and on to Germany and Israel before a return to SuperSport United, plied his trade for Golden Arrows with some success last season.

But when new coach Stuart Baxter, who gave Nkosi his Bafana debut in 2005, expressed an interest, busy Bobby did the business and brought the 30-year-old back to Naturena.

On the Chiefs official website, Nkosi says, what you’d expect; Siyabonga: “Thanks. I am excited to be back here at Naturena. It really feels great because for me Chiefs is home.

“I thought the feeling would be different this time around having been here couple of seasons back. But I am still as excited as I was the first time I joined.

“My contract with Golden Arrows was coming to an end in June so my representative, Josiah Mpono told me that there are few clubs that have shown interest on my services. He also mentioned that Chiefs had also enquired; I told him on the spot; ‘focus on Chiefs’. Re-joining Chiefs was my first preference.

“I always felt that I have unfinished business here. I wanted to walk that journey again as I only spent a season the last time. There was a strong feeling to complete the journey I had started. As a fan I have always wanted to see Chiefs winning the league and I am glad now that I have been given an opportunity to contribute to that.

“I didn’t know so many people wanted to see me back at Chiefs. I am really surprised. Amakhosi fans have reacted to the news, it’s been exciting to meet fans on the street, wishing me and the team well in the new season.

“I am looking forward to the challenge of pulling on that gold and black again. I strive on challenges and I will be competing with the best players in the country. Joining Chiefs has re-ignited that competitive spirit in me and I am looking forward grabbing this opportunity with both hands.

“I will be going back to Durban to sort out few things and I can’t wait to meet my teammates when pre-season starts in the next couple of days.”

Chiefs fans, having already seen Morgan Gould arrive from SuperSport, will now be waiting to see what happens to Bloemfontein Celtic’s unsettled Mulomowandau “Tower” Mathoho, who partnered Gould in central defence in the 3-0 win over Gabon in Mbombela last week. Motaung made it clear last week that he expected Mathoho to be in a Chiefs shirt next season – but no official confirmation has yet emerged. Mathoho is coming under huge pressure to put Chiefs ahead of Sundowns despite the financial rewards – particularly on his Facebook page, where dozens of Amakhosi are leaving their pleas.

Unlike Gould and Nkosi – as well as recent acquisitions Sibuniso Gaxa and Bernard Parker – Tower and Manqele might require a substantial transfer fee and with Chiefs reluctant to deal at anything over R3.5m, Sundowns continue to lurk.

But there is another name on the agenda. Katlego Mphela – the alleged Killer who struggled to impress Johan Neeskens at Sundowns last season – has a known admirer in Baxter, who set up his trial at Glasgow Celtic last year. Busy Bobby and Chiefs may yet lure another major star to Naturena. Watch this space.

NKOSI’S CAREER IN A NUTSHELL:

2003–2006          Bloemfontein Celtic         52           (12)

2006–2007          Kaizer Chiefs       26           (4)

2007–2008          Arminia Bielefeld              9             (0)

2009      Maccabi Netanya             15           (1)

2009–2010          Supersport United            15           (1)

2010–    Golden Arrows   44           (8)

International:

2005–2009          South Africa        25           (2)