Former Orlando Pirates left-back Lucas Thwala has revealed he was part of a reserve team that gave the seniors a torrid time, saying he was a nightmare for wingers such as Brandon Silent, Steve Lekoelea and Joseph Ngake.
Thwala was spotted by iconic development guru Augusto Palacios while playing barefoot in Jeppes Reef, the quiet Mpumalanga village tucked against the Eswatini border. From those dusty fields, he rose to become a Pirates great, and the club’s only player to start for Bafana Bafana at the 2010 FIFA World Cup.
Affectionally known as “Look Around,” he broke into the Pirates first team in 2004, graduating from that celebrated youth group that featured Gift Leremi, Benedict Vilakazi and Lebohang Mokoena. Thwala, who played his football as a left-back, hit incredible heights, winning the league’s Player of the Season award in the 2008/9 season, as well as two awards for the club: Player’s Player of the Year and Top Goalscorer Award.
Thwala earned legendary status for his crunching tackles, attacking prowess, of course, goalscoring, especially crucial goals in big games, particularly headers for a relatively short guy.
TERRORISING ORLANDO PIRATES LEGEND
“Before I was promoted, we used to beat the first team in every friendly match,” Thwala said on the Izinja Ze Game Podcast. “They ended up stopping the friendly matches between the reserve team and the senior team. Coach Augusto Palacios was a master. He made us so sharp and fit. That man was a genius.
“I used to face Steve Lekoelea, Brandon Silent and Joseph Ngake. Brandon Silent ended up raising his hand to say he did not want to play against me anymore. He said he was not crazy; he was not playing against me anymore. He said I was mad.
“But I was not kicking anybody, I was kicking the ball. Steve and Ngake were the ones who never backed down. I was giving them a tough time; they knew me very well.
“The only time they had a chance to create something was by going through the middle. That was their only chance to go forward. They avoided attacking on the right-hand side where I was playing left-back. I was dominating my territory.
RELATED STORY: Pirates or Sundowns? Hunt remains calculated on title race