The match clock read 56:05 when Relebohile Ratomo’s deflected strike went past Royal AM goalie Mondli Mpoto, breaking the deadlock in a game where Orlando Pirates had missed several opportunities.
At the end of 90 minutes, as Royal AM’s Menzi Masuku levelled terms, it was Pirates’ only goal.
Many a promising talent has walked onto the pitch for the Ghost. But only a few have sparkled on debut in quite the same fashion as Ratomo.
The 17-year-old delivered heroics with an air of confidence beyond his years in only his first start of the season.
No wonder Orlando Pirates coach Jose Riveiro kept him on the pitch for the entire 90 minutes. The Spaniard insists the boy is ready for the step up to the club’s senior team.
The Spaniard has joined the growing list of DStv Premiership coaches who have shown faith in junior graduates.
Ratomo captured the hearts of many Orlando Pirates fans. That’s all thanks to his elegant first touch, skill, pace, confidence on the ball and off-the-ball movements.
RATOMO IMPRESSES ON HIS TOPFLIGHT DEBUT
The youngster has strength in piling pressure on defenders and pressing for the ball. He doesn’t keep the ball for too long, as he searches for space or a teammate. Seemingly, he’s more effective on the right-hand side.
When his side is out of possession, chasing the ball, he tracks back and helps regain possession.
However, he lacks better decision-making in the final third. In the 25th minute, instead of going for goal, he opted to pass Deon Hotto, but the ball was intercepted by a Royal AM defender.
The rising star also has great passing technique and likes taking long-range shots. He showed a bit of flair and skill as he skinned one of the Royal AM players, Elis Pelembe, much to the delight of Thembinkosi Lorch and Kabelo Dlamini, who were not part of the match-day squad, sitting on the stands.
The young man didn’t let the pressure of wearing the heavy black and white jersey weigh him down as he played a role in Pirates’ attack.
His shot at goal in the 55th minute deflected off Elias Pelembe, and it was recorded as an own goal, even though it appeared to be on target.
Pirates coach Jose Riveiro said he played Ratomo in the 1-1 draw against Royal AM on Wednesday as he felt the player is mature enough to play in the senior team and add value.
It would have been a perfect debut for Ratomo, but Royal AM found the equaliser deep into stoppage time as the Soweto giants failed to tighten their grip in the race for second place in the league.
PIRATES COACH EVASIVE ON RATOMO
“He [Ratomo] is a Pirates player, he has been with us, and he has been in our minds and under control the whole season having his development process as a youngster,” said Jose Riveiro.
“But I have nothing to say about his performance. The guy was talking on the field. I played him in the starting eleven today, understanding how important the game was for us,” added the Pirates coach.
“I’m not here to give chances to the players,” he declared. “I’m here to win games and help the team win games. Ratomo was on the field to help us win the game, not to get a chance. I’m not thinking about that…”
The 2022/2023 campaign has seen clubs hand out opportunities to youngsters coming through the academies. Some of those young players, such as Cassius Mailula, Samkelo Zwane and Mduduzi Shabalala, took the Premiership by storm.
Ratomo is the latest youngster to shine following his exploits in the Pirates team DStv Diski Challenge side.
The attacker has been scoring goals for fun in the reserve league. He will be looking to earn more first team football minutes.
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