Orlando Pirates coach reveals why they didn’t make signings in the January transfer window

Orlando Pirates Co-Coach Fadlu Davids has revealed the reason why they did not dip into the January transfer window. 

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Pirates had been linked to quite a few players ahead and during the window last month, but none made their way to the club. 

Davids initially said no signings

Davids had previously spoken about Pirates’ prospects in the January transfer window, prior to it opening. His initial sentiments were that the Buccaneers would not be dipping into the market, because they had been encouraged by the amount of players who were making their way back to full fitness for the club. 

“I think this transfer window we’ll (Pirates)  get some great signings but that will be internally, if you take Vincent Pule being back , Thembinkosi Lorch being back and Zakhele Lepasa being back or Richard Ofori being back (from injuries). Let’s be honest, Lepasa, Lorch and Pule are our starting front-three and it’s clear that we’re missing them,” 

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“So that’s the boost we will get in January, with all our main players coming back. Innocent Maela is also back – he is a starting line-up player who is just getting his fitness back and passing his minimal requirements. He got some minutes in the away leg in the Caf Confederation Cup (the first leg of their play-off against LPRC Oilers). So more than us needing to strengthen in areas, we will soon be back to full-strength and especially up front.” Said Davids of Pirates window prospects at the time.

Later that month, Davids seemed to change his tune as the window approached. Many believed he had been hinting at possible reinforcements. 

Sentiments seemed to change

“There are areas that we have identified, but those discussions are internal, you don’t want to be quoting positions but on the whole, there are departments that need quality in depth to be able to sustain us in a period where we are going into CAF its group stages where there is a match every three days and you know you don’t want to rotate, you want to play the strongest team but there are gonna be these moments where you bring in another player but you don’t lose the structure and have a big dip in terms of replacements. Of course, we are always striving to be stronger and better and that is what we will do,” he said. 

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Now having not signed any players to strengthen the Pirates squad, Davids appeared to go back to his original sentiments, with this his reasons for the club’s inactivity

Why Pirates ended up not signing anyone

“Richard Ofori will be back next week, he is doing his final checkup in relation to his operation that he had, Vincent Pule just got his clearance today, he is now about getting back to full match fitness, not ready for selection yet, but within the next two weeks he will get himself fit and ready. So you’ve got to look at our situation holistically, we had about seven key starting line-up players that were out in the first round. So you’ve got to look at our situation holistically, we had about seven key starting line-up players that were out in the first round.” Said Davids on Pirates squad situation to the Ultimate Sport Show

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“At the moment in the market, in the situation, there was no that player that will improve us, so we are quite happy with the seven players coming back giving us a real boost.  Thembinkosi Lorch has got cleared in December, so that was a huge boost for us. He played in the last couple of matches. He was out for the whole of the first round, so him coming back gives the club a huge, huge boost. We had Innocent Maela also who had the injury, he was back also in December as well, Gabadinho Mhango was not available for most of the first round, he is back we saw it in the AFCON with good performance. Zakhele Lepasa is back as well, We got a slight injury with Bongani Sam over the preparation period, but he came back.” Davids concluded.