With the 2023/24 DStv Premiership season edging towards the end, a big decision on the future of two Orlando Pirates stars is looming.
The Buccaneers have recently qualified for the 2024 Nedbank Cup semi-final, where they’re going to face Chippa United at Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium on the 5th of May. Pirates defeated AmaZulu FC 4-2 in the quarter-final of the Nedbank Cup at Moses Mabhida Stadium last Saturday.
Before brushing aside Usuthu in the Cup tie, Pirates ran riot with a 7-1 victory over Golden Arrows in the league.
In the current campaign, Ezimnyama Ngenkani has won 10 league games, drawn seven, and lost six times in 23 matches. They are sitting third on the log after collecting 37 points.
The Soweto giants have also won the 2023 MTN8 early in the season after beating Mamelodi Sundowns on penalties in the final.
PIRATES WILL DECIDE ON THE FUTURE OF KERMIT ERASMUS AND THABANG MONARE
In a quest to build a competitive squad to win their first league title under the guidance of Jose Riveiro, Orlando Pirates will decide on the future of Kermit Erasmus and Thabang Monare. The duo will see their respective contracts with the club coming to an end in June 2024.
Erasmus has struggled for game time this season. He has made 11 appearances across all competitions, scoring only one goal. In the first half of the season, Zakhele Lepasa and Evidence Makgopa have been the preferred choices in the striking department ahead of Erasmus.
The 33-year-old attacker fell further down the pecking order after Tshegofatso Mabasa returned from his loan spell at Moroka Swallows during the January transfer window. Mabasa has netted seven times in nine matches since his return.
Meanwhile, Monare has been out of the matchday squad after spending only seven minutes on the pitch in 2024. The former Jomo Cosmos holding midfielder last featured on the 2nd of March as a second-half substitute when the Ghosts defeated Polokwane City 1-0 in the league.
Monare was part of the Bafana Bafana squad that won a bronze medal at the 2023 AFCON in Ivory Coast. However, he has struggled to break into the Pirates squad, with Miguel Timm, Makhehlene Makhaula, and Thalente Mbatha preferred in the central midfield position.
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