Lekgwathi credits scouts as Bucs stand to claim league title

Ex-skipper says meticulous recruitment, goal scoring made difference

May 15, 2026 at 5:40 am

As Orlando Pirates stand on the cusp of winning glory this weekend, the club’s legendary skipper Lucky Lekgwathi has chalked up their looming league triumph to proper scouting and their ability to score goals.

Lekgwathi was captain when Pirates last won the championship in the 2011/12 season under coach Augusto Palacios.

Bucs, who finished as runners-up to Mamelodi Sundowns for the past three terms, need just three points in their last two games against Durban City, at home on Saturday, and Orbit College, away the next weekend, to clinch the championship. “I think credit must go to the leadership of the team for assembling a strong squad,” Lekgwathi told Sowetan yesterday.

“You know, at the start of every season we, as former players of the club, get invited to welcome new players; and, to be honest, I didn’t know most of the players introduced to us.

“It was the first time I saw [Tshepang] Moremi [who was bought from AmaZulu] and [Nkosikhona] Ndaba [from Richards Bay], but the leadership emphasised that they were good acquisitions. So, for me, the scouts recruited proper players, hence this success.”

Lekgwathi also feels free scoring has made a difference this season for his former team. Pirates have scored 56 goals from 28 league games so far this season. “In the past few seasons, the team would win 1-0 but this season it was a different story. as you saw in many games they scored more than two goals, so that also helped a lot,” he said.

Lekgwathi said that the current generation of players had the potential to be among the club’s greatest. “When we won the double treble. I was 35 and Benni [McCarthy] was 34... it was a team of oldies, but the current generation is young,” he said.

“You look at players like [Oswin] Appollis (24) [Relebohile] Mofokeng (21), [Camrin] Dansin (21) and [Lebone] Seema (23), these are young boys, so the future is bright. This generation can be one of the greatest Pirates teams of all time if they maintain discipline and consistency.”