BucsCamp: We Fight Until the End — Part 1

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The new chapter of the BucsCamp franchise — pre-season 2026/27 begins.

Summary

AI · transcript

This video documents the Orlando Pirates' mid-season camp, emphasizing the importance of culture, identity, and unity in achieving success. It highlights the team's commitment to excellence, the challenges of new player integration, and the unwavering support of their passionate fanbase. The video also delves into the team's performance in key matches and their strategic approach to the second half of the season.

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Transcript · click to jump

(choir singing in foreign language)
Tactics can win new games, but culture wins championships.
For every journey begins with a first step.
For Lando Pirates, this mid-season camp is that step.
This is more than football.
It's about identity, pressure, legacy.
(choir singing in foreign language)
As the second half of the season begins,
the team returns to its foundation,
revisiting the goals, the standards,
and the promise they made to themselves.
In a rare moment of honesty,
senior players read anonymous letters
written by the squad.
Words filled with pressure, sacrifice, hope, and belief,
because success is celebrated by the world,
but the struggle to achieve it
is only known from within.
(choir singing in foreign language)
This camp has brought love and built happiness
that is shared with the team
and getting to know your team at World Health.
This is a real way of starting the second round of the season.
I will give my best for the team and it proved every day.
I will give 100% effort and energy to the club
and to show gratitude and everything in action of mine.
- I pledge to be on time for training.
I arrive early every day to do my own individual program.
I'm willing to be injury-free,
I'm ready to put a good 20 minute chance.
- I want to do more this second round
and help the team to win the league.
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- It was an important camp for us, just to align ourselves,
game with the objectives.
2025 ended really well for us.
We managed to bag three trophies, everyone saying two,
but we'll count the call in black ladies as well.
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- We understood that we had a good end to the year.
I think a lot of these players got attention
that they never had before,
lifting trophies that they've never lifted before.
Being in an environment where all the focus
will be on them, you know, these guys,
you know, they gave the all in the first half of the year.
We had some disappointment with the CAF Champions League,
but I thought we were on track in the league,
what we needed to do was shop and up in a couple of areas.
And when we went to Rastenberg, our objectives were
to get everybody aligned again.
It's easy to rest on your laurels and think
that with the success we had in 2025,
with the first part of the season
that it would just continue automatically,
but it's easy to take your foot off the pedal.
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- The target is still the same for us.
We are playing every game for win,
you know, the way that we are preparing all our games.
It's all the time with the target to take this three point.
(choir singing in foreign language)
- What we tried to do was have an impactful camp,
but we had to set the objectives to the existing players,
as well as the new ones.
We had to make sure that we've got six months,
not even six months, five and a half months
to put everything together and fight for the elusive league title.
(choir singing in foreign language)
- It's important for us with the staff
to really to go deep,
the deepest possible to find how we can win the games
and how we can imbalance definitely the teams.
And we think we were in the right position
to start that campaign,
to start the on the right foot,
along with the friendlies,
along with a couple of the team cohesion sessions
and the open platforms where we could talk about what we tried,
talk about what went wrong, align ourselves.
I thought the camp was really good.
(choir singing in foreign language)
- If you regain position,
regain it to go to 10 touches before you can go to game.
- We have just to set the path to keep working hard
and not to look too much what people can say on the side.
So we need really, really to play with passion.
Passion that helps us to lift some caps,
passion that helps us to be at the top of the log in.
(choir singing in foreign language)
- The second half of the season demands more,
more intensity, more sacrifice, more hunger
and sometimes new blood.
As Orlando Pirates prepare for the battles ahead,
new faces arrive to strengthen the areas
that need new energy and fresh ideas.
But with opportunity comes pressure
because for the new players,
this camp is more than preparation.
It is initiation.
The first taste of the expectations that demands
and the weight of wearing this badge,
what lies ahead is unforgiving,
an intense lap where every moment matters
and there's no time to catch your breaths.
(choir singing in foreign language)
- You know, in January, we did lose a lot of players
to be honest and quality players also.
The likes of Guayiba, Mabasa, Quality Striker,
scored a lot of goals, helped a lot
in that number nine department.
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It was a friend, it was a brother,
like mom need like in terms of advice
and in terms of how to improve he came here,
how cool like everybody sees another fan of online,
he was part of the senior guys.
And I think Uli Sanda, I forgot to Uli Sanda,
so one of the guys named Mto Le Lana,
we were welcome at Leiting Figula.
And there was a bit emotional to lose those players.
But I wish them the best to know
about what I would like to know.
And I would like to know what I would like to know.
Because it's a lot more.
And I would like to know what I would like to know.
- But yeah, for the player that I felt a bit sorry to us,
to be honest, it was Guayiba.
Very quality player can play the,
it plays as a false name all around in front.
But it's just that I feel he didn't get enough,
he didn't get enough time.
Yeah, and that played a big role, you know.
But yeah, we felt bad for him to be honest when we came.
Towards the end we lost Da, he was very close to me also.
Quality player, but unfortunately I feel the injury,
the operation he caught also kept him a bit aside.
Look, we've got a couple of new faces in the camp.
We managed to get under the young in the squad.
We managed to get in port, Chabatani, Daniel and Sindami.
Some quality acquisitions from the club again.
Hopefully guys that can help us.
So it's tough with their generally acquisitions.
But we knew it's important to strengthen.
We knew it was important to keep everybody on their toes
and keep their competition rife inside the team.
- It was just something great, you know, there was,
you could see the direction the club is taking the team to,
because we had depth in every department.
And that's actually great for us as a club also,
not to feel relaxed in your position also.
So yeah, it was something great for us
seeing new faces and quality players.
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Two weeks, three weeks.
Then I got a call from my lawyer.
(speaking in foreign language)
I met a chairman.
Then we sat down.
He told me about the move, but then the move was for June,
not January.
Then I went back to Blum van deen.
As I was training maybe two days,
that's where they told me rotation.
(speaking in foreign language)
I agreed into conditions that they deliver and all that.
Next I believe in man, I felt like it's a dream come through.
Then I went back home to tell my mom,
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- Yeah, look, I think for guys, you know,
that arrived now in January,
like Andre, Deong, Daniel Simpson,
and then on Pocha, that time,
where they're getting a feel of what it's like
to play for pirates.
You know, it's always difficult coming in January
than coming in June, because I think in June,
we have much more time to prepare the team, you know,
to get to jail, to know each other.
You know, whereas in January, you have to be up and going.
And I think also the support is expected
that you're coming to help us.
So you have to make an immediate impact,
which is not the case sometimes,
because with the pressure, it comes
and like people with different,
we handle pressure differently.
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- It's been a good week, very nice, obviously staying
with them duly, obviously, know each other
from studies and had good moments and memories from there.
So to rekindle here, and Rustinburg was very nice
for the both of us.
- Andre Deong, I'm a New Zealand international.
I signed from Stalenbosch in January for Orlando Pirates.
And I've been in South Africa six years now.
And yeah, throughout South Africa,
I've played for Amazulu, a short stint at Royal EM,
and then three years at Stalenbosch before
signing for Orlando Pirates.
Obviously, having been in South Africa for quite a while,
I knew Orlando Pirates is a really big club,
obviously not just South African wide, but African wide.
So I always had it as a goal of mine
to try and get to a club like this.
So yeah, when the move went through,
I was extremely excited and proud
and honored to be at a club like this.
Yeah, so as soon as I joined,
then we went up to Rustinburg for a week.
- Lots of early mornings, lots of meetings,
but it's been a good week.
Nice to also get to know some of my teammates,
a bit better, and a lot of trainings, and yeah,
just putting some of the stuff
that we've been taking from our meetings onto the field.
- Yeah, I think my experience at Camp was really good.
Obviously, I'd known a couple of players
before coming to Pirates.
I played with Cash at Amazulu and Tupelo,
and then also Dino and Cidli at Stalenbosch.
So I knew a couple of familiar faces,
which obviously made it easier.
I roomed with him duly during the camp as well,
which was very nice, obviously, he's got a long-term injury,
so a bit sad in terms of that,
but it was very, very nice to have him
sort of around in my corner.
- I'm just waiting to be out there with Julio again.
Obviously, an unfortunate being injured at the moment,
but yeah, he's been working hard.
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Like from development, (speaking in foreign language)
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And you can see even when (speaking in foreign language)
everyone becomes emotional, leaving the fence,
they become like (speaking in foreign language)
I would be right, most of theians came to me and say,
"You don't have to be scared."
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(upbeat music)
- To achieve the target set for the season,
preparation becomes everything,
not just for the players, but for the technical team,
the medical staff, the analysts,
and every hand working behind the scenes,
because at Orlando Parrots,
success is never carried by 11 men alone.
Every stakeholder moves with one purpose,
one badge, one mission.
For the mighty Ama Bhaganiya,
their success belongs to everyone.
- My name's Rowan Rast, I'm the head of performance
at Orlando Parrots Football Club.
And my primary role within the club
is to ensure that we have great synergy
amongst our very important departments,
namely our analysis department,
which Marty looks after,
our strength conditioning, sport science department,
and then our medical departments.
- We also do our best and utmost
to provide analysis to the team, to the coach,
that comes in the context of obviously our opponents,
and as well as ourselves, post-match,
and we all just look to work together
to try to create a good winning culture here at the club.
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- My name is John Williams.
I have reached the first floor in age,
so let's not give the last name as well.
I'm one of the physio therapists
at Orlando Parrots Football Club.
- Yeah, it's funny you speak about Mr. Williams,
because we are near my quite close.
You know, as a gentleman,
a real good good gentleman,
I think it's been part of this team for a long time now.
- I started at the team in 2001.
- It's a true, true professional, you know?
You don't wanna get on this wrong side.
You don't even try, you know,
we know medical room, no cell phones.
You get your treatments, you're gone.
- My job is to make sure the players are on the field.
Whether with the bandage, whether with the plaster,
whether with stitches, whether with glue,
that's our job to make sure they play
and give their based on the team,
for the success of the team and for their future
and for their strengths and their beliefs
and the supporters' beliefs as well.
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- Marty, as we reflect, you know,
we both fairly knew in this institution, you know,
this is both our second season at the club.
You know, we come from other institutions.
Stepping into this club, putting on the clothes,
wearing the badge, reflecting on the process,
you spend almost two full seasons now.
The players carry a lot of weight on their shoulders
from our fan base.
You know, we have an exceptional fan base.
You know, we wanted to put in the only club
that sells out every single week.
What doesn't matter when we play.
They carry a lot of weight on their shoulders.
You know, the jersey is a,
is a jersey that's recognized across the world, right?
Internationally and recognized.
As a technical team member, as a staff member,
do you kind of echo that sentiment
that the badge is very heavy
or how do you feel putting on this shirt now
with that badge over your heart?
Or what does it mean to you and what do you feel?
- There's always the notion that a badge
like ours is heavy and the pressure is a lot,
but sometimes we don't, maybe a tune ourselves
to be a little bit more positive.
If the badge is heavy, then how many people
are holding you up?
When you're out on the field, when you're out there working,
how many people are supporting you?
That's the exact same number of people.
Because of course the work, it's the demands,
the demands, it's the demands.
But sometimes when you actually sit and think about it,
all of that weight is support.
So if you are going to ask me,
how does that support feel?
If you're humble, you're part of a community
and a part of an institution way,
we are so many that are so together, bro.
Why can't we not do when it's like that, you know?
Now look, the badge means a lot.
From starting at a team as a supporter to one of the physios,
it means a lot.
It means respect, it means brotherhood,
it means togetherness, and it means winning.
When I put on the shirt with a badge, I feel different,
I feel protected, I feel part of a community
that is there for me no matter what.
That is what the badge means.
From the first day I started at Pirates, up to today,
I still have my first tracksuit.
From 1991 and Techies, that pirate gave me.
And that's what it means to me, I didn't throw it away.
Because that will be my start.
And the day I leave Pirates, that tracks that got lost
will be my end.
Look, I think, you know, wearing the Rondo Pirates badge,
it's quite heavy.
You know, it's almost similar to the National Team, I'd say.
Because whenever the National Team is playing,
you know, the whole country is watching.
Same as when Orlando Pirates is playing.
Doesn't matter whether you're playing your Champions League,
League, Cup, they're always watching, you know.
So you have to be at your best.
It's been a dream, you know, to represent this badge.
I've always said there are co-op supporting the club
from a very, very young age.
You know, it's a team we support, you know, as a family at home.
Everyone is a bakaniya fan.
So from a very young age, I didn't think I would make it
to this stage, you know, I make it as far.
And to be elected as captain of the team, you know,
it's something beyond my wildest dreams.
So I try, by all means, you know, to try and where it would
pride and to always give my maximum efforts, you know,
whenever I'm playing.
You know, I'm a bakaniya fan, I'm a bakaniya fan.
I'm a bakaniya fan, I'm a bakaniya fan.
I'm a bakaniya fan, I'm a bakaniya fan.
I'm a bakaniya fan, I'm a bakaniya fan.
I'm a bakaniya fan, I'm a bakaniya fan.
I'm a bakaniya fan, I'm a bakaniya fan, I'm a bakaniya fan.
I'm a bakaniya fan, I'm a bakaniya fan, I'm a bakaniya fan.
I'm a bakaniya fan, I'm a bakaniya fan, I'm a bakaniya fan.
I'm a bakaniya fan, I'm a bakaniya fan.
I'm a bakaniya fan, I'm a bakaniya fan.
I'm a bakaniya fan, I'm a bakaniya fan.
I'm a bakaniya fan, I'm a bakaniya fan, I'm a bakaniya fan.
I'm a bakaniya fan, I'm a bakaniya fan.
I'm a bakaniya fan, I'm a bakaniya fan, I'm a bakaniya fan.
I'm a bakaniya fan, I'm a bakaniya fan.
I'm a bakaniya fan, I'm a bakaniya fan.
I'm a bakaniya fan, I'm a bakaniya fan.
I'm a bakaniya fan, I'm a bakaniya fan, I'm a bakaniya fan, I'm a bakaniya fan.
I'm a bakaniya fan, I'm a bakaniya fan, I'm a bakaniya fan, I'm a bakaniya fan.
And wearing this badge, giving all your old t-shirts to doctors or nurses that assist our players,
changes their lives as well, because when they are seen with a pirate shirt on,
the guy at the robot watches you, "No, you don't have to pay me, you know what I mean, you are bakaniya."
So that's what it means and that's how you see it.
I don't know if I can explain it properly in English, but that's what it means
from a staff member to a player, changes your life for the better.
And in a way, it kind of even opens a little one or two doors for you that will not be open
if you don't have the shirt, if you don't have this badge.
And if you use it, if you use the doors that open for you correctly,
you will become successful in life because this badge made it.
This badge gave you that.
And that togetherness, that sense of belonging, doesn't happen by accident, it is built.
Through sacrifice, through standards, and through unity.
It is the product of a culture, the Orlando Pirates culture.
So, Marie, within your time at Pirates, what would you define culture as?
Do you see culture at Orlando Pirates as to be?
What seems to resonate a lot with me is community.
When we speak of community, we think of ourselves as a team.
First of all, when we come to the stadium with our supporters being there,
it maybe amplifies that healing.
But I may be also linked to what we know is a really high performance environment,
an environment where we're expected to always be our best.
And you bring it back to the sense of community.
I want the best for you, I want the best for my brother, I want the best for my sister,
I want the best for anyone within my space and which world do collectively.
When I begin to think of the club, that resonates quite a lot with what we try to do.
The culture at Orlando Pirates is the winner.
It's the winner of Orlando Pirates.
The identity is hard work, never give up.
But in the same time, we can mix the hard work and the good football.
Because all of the pirates, it's a big club, it's a big brand, not only in the country,
but in the continent.
And we have a fantastic fan base.
They are demanding, of course, it's normal.
I don't know any big clubs where the fans are not demanding.
It is really, really normal.
For me personally, I would believe number one would be a brotherhood.
So I started in 2001.
I'm still friends with the players of that time.
We play over 45 football, over 35 football, I don't play, I don't play, but I go and watch.
I used to play and we still friends and we still chat and I always tease them about the mistakes they did and stuff like that.
So I believe the brotherhood.
It's something that you can definitely feel coming in.
I think coming from both our respective backgrounds, coming into a club like Orlando Pirates,
you don't really get the sense of how big this club is until you're actually inside the club.
Be that the supporters, the extended staff, the technical team, the staff that's with us today.
And it's becoming part of that and synergising yourself into that.
That becomes a very overwhelming sensation to a degree sometimes.
But once you're in, it's a great place to be and I think like you said, you nailed it, brotherhood is so important.
And especially when we're pushing on all fronts all the time, 365 days, we need each other.
We need each other more than we need ourselves.
That's true.
I need you, you need me, and that's the only way we're going to push this great forward.
Yes, good.
Well done, well done, yes.
Well done, good.
Good and I'm okay, you need to score.
You need to score, my friend.
With this passion, with this hard-working, and something that is very important,
I think you can see the resilience of our players.
The organisation, the discipline, to be able, for example, to be able to keep 14 clean sheets.
I think it's something important for a club.
And I think in all the competitions, it's 23 clean sheets.
It's not a small detail, it's not a small thing, it's a lot of work.
And I think if you can be proud, if I can be proud about this thing, it's strength that we bring to the team.
It's something that they have to keep because the team with strength have a strong foundation.
It's definitely a team that can play the top of the login.
We continue our preparation, again, for the league.
I think it's important, again, to keep the standard, even in the preparation game,
to keep the way that we are working, to show you some clips, if not below.
It will be five, six minutes, six minutes.
How this team is attacking, how this team is defending.
The game of Sekokune, I think the mood, the confidence,
the high level, either for the players, either for the technical stuff.
And we had a fantastic preparation in Western Bank.
We know being the roles that we are, we're not always too focused on results.
We're a process-driven people.
And when we begin to think of the process and also just see the type of work we didn't can,
the conditioning work done, the tactical aspects sharp and done.
I mean, we do also have to give context that the gents and the team did quite phenomenal in the first half of the season.
I think sometimes it's a question that we sometimes need to ask ourselves.
It's a very difficult one that anyone could maybe answer or point in the right direction,
is that when you're doing well, what next do you do?
You know, what do you change?
And you think, just coming into that match, how you felt,
and if you feel that going in against a rival would call a top three rival, right?
A team that competes in CAF, one of the top three teams.
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Yeah, look, I think, you know, coming to the Skokuna game, it's the first game of the 20, 26, you know, 10-year.
But it's also coming from a very tough period, you know, an Afghan with the national team.
For us, it wasn't much of, you know, rest.
But, you know, you can never come up with these excuses for people, you know, for our supporters.
They always demand your best and, you know, literally had three days off, you know, in a break where I think the guys had three weeks.
But we knew, we knew we had to deliver, we'd set some targets and objectives for ourselves at the beginning of the season
to say, you know, we want to go for everything.
And that includes the lead title as well.
So, for us, it was very important to try and get maximum points, mind you.
That team beat us, you know, at home at Orlando, 1-0, and I didn't think we deserved to lose.
It's something that we always talk about as a team.
We never come back from a break.
We normally drop points, so it was a team effort to go to a family.
It's not always easy going through school corner, playing them and winning them,
because even last season I believe that we lost against them.
But if you remember, the way how we lost that first game at home, with the funny goal, you know, with a lot of bouncing,
you know, the ball coming back, they shot, the ball come back, and we didn't manage to avoid it.
The target was really to go there and to win that game, and we have prepared a very good game plan, a very good week of training.
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For us, it was a matter of we shouldn't lose the game, at least throw it, because that still keeps us in the race and still keeps us in the same vision,
the same color with the team.
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So this good team, physicality, they are very strong in terms of height, in terms of maybe that is their plan,
that if there's a chance against such a team like us, where they could win a match, they put a lot of emphasis.
Because we must give credit to the opponents, they put a lot of emphasis on set plays and transitions.
So you have to stop transitions, and you have to try and stop set plays.
We have not won in doing those two.
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Psychologically sucking second-coon united over to pirates left-hand side, it's an opportunity for a shotgun goal!
You've got to test the keeper from that situation.
We started exactly how we wanted to start that game, because we knew that the treat was the player globally.
They can play a long ball on the pressure, and what was important for us, against that team, it's really to look for this second ball and to be very aggressive in the heart of the game,
and not to lose this second ball.
It's a team that on paper we should dominate.
If I'm not mistaken, I think we have an XG, which is an expected goal of 1.85.
I think we have 17 shots, if I'm not mistaken.
It's a TQ1 for my memory, but I think we have nine shots on target, we have 60% position.
We completely dominate the game on paper.
A little bit more consolidation in these box entries now, but can they achieve from this or can they say it from leader?
How did he even get near that?
I think the boys didn't disappoint, it was just a matter of us converting those chances, and I, for one, also had a clear chance, you know.
I think I missed, but yet the keeper made a fantastic reflex save.
How did he even get near that?
Yeah, we kept our philosophy willing to build from the back, to progress the ball through our midfielders,
and trying to find our tens in the heart space, but in the same time, keeping this with, with our full backs that they are very dangerous.
I think in that game it really, really played well, really, really played well, but it was unfortunate to not get the result,
and coming into the change room at half time, you could tell the mood was a bit of, because now we used to scoring early in, you know, this part of the season.
I think it's a bit of pressure to, to us to make rash decisions, you know.
I think going into the second half we also, we also put them under lots, lots of pressure, you know, created chances.
At the time, so many entry doors, the whole season, there's an opportunity, they're big big deflection away, but right into law and law and global.
We knew that we will face a low block, mid block, you know, but we knew as well that they had a very heavy defence.
I think the goalkeeper was the man of the match and that gave me, if I'm not mistaken, so it tells you the amount of times we were attacking and how dangerous we were, you know, for the keeper to get the man of the match out.
So, you know, it wasn't through a lack of trial, I think the boys gave it their oil.
Yeah, we dropped the points, but the focus still remains.
00 draw there was a bit of pull for us to swallow. I don't think it's the way we wanted to start the year, but going away from home, picking up the point, making sure we don't concede, making sure we don't drop any points.
We looked at that as a positive.
I think what strikes me top of my head is always that fight between performance and results, right? We're in a results driven business and we get judged based on results, but sometimes performance doesn't equal results and results are an equal performance.
And I think we all left that match, and again, like you context, context is important.
Because Kukune were top or top three, top four team, and you get a result, a draw away against the top three team, take a step and you go, that's a good result, right? But in our context, it's not when we want to start the way we want to start.
And for the performance that we had, I think that's kind of the big fight that we have when we left the stadium with saying everyone leaves that kind of knowing like we always talk about it's like a losing draw almost.
Yeah, so it's two points lost, not two points game type of thing.
There are some days like that, there are some games like that, today the ball didn't want to go in the net, but really I'm very proud of my players.
They give everything, they went over their limit.
The quality of the football that we played was very interesting, only the chances that we have to score.
Other than that, I have to congratulate my boys, to congratulate Kukune as well because they played a great game.
We understood that there was many games to play, we understood that that would be a difficult challenge.
And although we felt we were dominant in the game, but we weren't lucky enough to put the ball in the back of the net.
We thought that was the only thing that was missing.
So yeah, the mood was positive even after we got the draw to say it's still not over.
It's only the beginning, we still have, I think we had played, it was our 16 game if I'm not mistaken, to say we were still there.
Let's just keep pushing, keep going.
Two points slipped away against Kukune, and suddenly every match carried the weight off the season.
The battle against Mikese and Amazu were demanded more than quality, they demanded character.
Then came the net bank up, a different battlefield, but the same fight against TTM were believed was restored.
Next, Murumukalans, but as the victories pile up, so does the noise.
Inside the camp, there's belief. Outside, there's pressure.
In February, we were able to do the same thing. We were able to do the same thing.
We were able to do the same thing.
Moving for Murumukalans game, in a different batch, our batch itself is not the best.
There are too many people watching this club, so how easy is it?
But then, as a player, the pressure can turn it right away.
We were all prepared for giving me, because away, Murumukalans were more vigilant to not.
Then, coming home at school at the evening, it was my first time in Kirojala, the former TTM.
So, it was not an easy one, because bantee, wha-cha-ba-tee.
So, they were prepared really, and I think we prepared well, because of the barrage.
So, coming here, we never wanted to lose points, whereby valence reaches our league.
We were able to do it, because we were able to do it, and we were able to do it, and we were able to do it.
We were able to do it, and we were able to do it, and we were able to do it.
We were able to do it, and we were able to do it, and we were able to do it, and we were able to do it.
We were able to do it, and we were able to do it.
Now, Siamo will be breathing a huge sigh.
Now, Murumukalans rolls it across, and moments after squandering an opportunity to go ahead, they are behind.
So, we were able to do it, and we were able to do it, and we were able to do it, and we were able to do it.
We were able to do it, and we were able to do it, and we were able to do it, and we were able to do it.
For him, from a couple years perspective, it's really tried, passed one, and slips it through here from Petuma.
Plenty of players, 4-4 Lando Pirates on the spin.
We were able to do it, forcing a great save.
And we were able to do it, and we were able to do it.
And we were able to do it in front.
We were able to do it.
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Masan Ganyi, deflection! And it has gone in. Trickles passed, and we were already committed the one way.
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Tito is just Tito, man.
Like Coach Rivera would say Tito is just Tito.
You need to...
You need to brush him a bit.
Hey, my boy.
Come on.
Let's go.
Don't worry.
He's too...
His heart is...
He has a small heart, man.
He's not...
He has a small heart.
You need to always...
You need to be next to him to tell him.
Tito, hey.
Don't stress, man.
He's gone.
Let's go back and play.
He's that type of guy.
Tito is an emotional...
I am also learning on how to deal with Tito.
I've had explosive moments with him.
I've had a hand around his shoulder.
I've offered to come and see his home,
visit him and his parents in time to understand him.
There's one part that we miss out.
Football is a reflection of the society we come from.
Players from Tambisa.
We'll show you a Tambisa mentality.
Players from the farm, from Venda.
Whether you're talking a b-lunk, hulu, a trevala, mola,
all players from that era, from the highway,
have got high levels of endurance.
But once you start understanding those dynamics,
that how we reflect Tito is jumping on top of the pole.
If you don't permit him to do that,
the frustration comes in.
So an understanding of show voting,
and a relay who's more creative when we allow him to do that,
is still another topic that how much is more, how much is less.
So sometimes it just becomes a difference
that the coach has got this expectation.
Tito wants you to do it his way
because he knows that it works for him.
For me, it's just understanding your players,
your players understanding the approach of the coach
and the personality and type of a person that he is.
For me, it's only that it's not big issues.
I've had explosive moments with loads of players,
but it's just from the father to the son, the son to the father.
Unfortunately, we all want the best and the end results and all of that,
but that's what it looks like.
When someone wants the best for you
or sees opportunities where we can push the ball a little bit higher,
it sometimes looks like that, sometimes a little bit uncomfortable.
But when you understand both the player and the manager,
then you understand that there's probably the type of pressure and environment that
we were not too unsettled by because that's where we are.
Yeah.
Our coach wants excellence.
The players want excellence.
So sometimes we hold each other a little bit accountable and remind ourselves
that, hey, guys, when you've got people like that
and you've got those types of opportunities, let's see it through.
Strategy is more than planning.
It is the courage to keep moving when nobody believes in you.
The ability to turn doubt into fuel and pressure into purpose,
because true strategy is not only about achieving success,
it is about achieving it when the world has already countered you out.
With 16 games played, 38 points on the board,
only three points separated them from their next opponents,
with a game still in hand.
This is no longer just about tactics or preparation.
Now, strategy will be tested, because at this point of the season,
it is far from over.
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