Orlando Pirates’ recent signings Kermit Erasmus and Lennox Bacela will get a taste of their first Soweto Derby on Saturday, buoyed by the encouraging start that both have had at the club. Erasmus has showed just how industrious he is, while Bacela has provided the goals that have given Pirates belief that they will have a much more penetrative effect this season. To be embraced by The Ghost, tomorrow’s MTN8 semi-final first leg against Kaizer Chiefs is the stage where both players must deliver. Daine Klate has no doubt that Erasmus and Bacela are wise signings and will be more dangerous upfront this season as they seek to dethrone Amakhosi from being ‘the boss’. “The signing of Kermit Erasmus is a big one for us because he is a fantastic player with a great future ahead of him which is an added bonus for us,” Klate says. “We have a very good squad, but I think Kermit is one individual that can change the game in any given time, so it is a big advantage for us to have a player of his caliber. “It is the same with Lennox, with the plus being that the rest of the team Oupa [Manyisa], Sifiso [Myeni] and Sox [Tlou Segolela] has come good in the last few games. Having Kermit available for this match brings a strong point to our game. “He [Erasmus] is an exceptional talent. He is younger than me, but I learn so much from him. The amount of knowledge that he has about the game and certain techniques is just unbelievable. “He tells me the finer details of why I am hitting the ball over the crossbar, why I am not getting power on the ball, why I am not running fast enough and why I am approaching the ball faster or slower. “The one thing that I do this season is to make him work harder because the amount of talent he has is very scary. If he can put that into hard work then Kermit will be a brilliant player who can compete for player of the season.” Regarding Bacela, who has already scored three goals, Klate says the former Bloemfontein Celtic forward has shown he is determined to succeed at the club. “Lennox has the hunger, passion and wants to do well. He is also a lot more mobile than Collins Mbesuma, so he gives us a wider of options as to how to play the ball. Mbesuma does have a lot of qualities himself, but he is injured at the moment and we miss him. “Lennox brings a different dimension to our play and always shows that he wants to be a part of how the team plays in the way that he comes short for the ball and getting behind the defenders into spaces. “He is always looking to get the ball when we have it. So it is a plus factor and we will be even more dangerous with the new guys that we have signed,” says Klate.
Posted on: Fri, 23 Aug 2013 09:28:43 +0000
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