Yanela Mbuthuma has been tipped to become one of South African
football’s most lethal strikers, with his former Richards Bay coach, Ronnie
Gabriel, backing the Orlando Pirates newcomer for success.
Gabriel, who coached Mbuthuma at Richards Bay before the 23-year-old’s move
to the Soweto giants, believes the striker has the potential to score 15
goals a season for the Buccaneers—provided the club and its fans show
patience and give him the necessary trust.
“It’s the start of good things to come for him,” Gabriel said in an
exclusive interview. “He will go on, and he can end up being a 15-goal
striker per season for Pirates as things stand. He just needs to be given
the chance – the trust – he needs to be given that opportunity and he can
deliver.”
The move to Pirates raised some questions, given the stiff competition for
the striker role from established players like Evidence Makgopa and
Tshegofatso Mabasa. However, Mbuthuma has already made an early statement,
coming off the bench to score his first goals for the club in a 4-0 CAF
Champions League victory over Lioli FC.
Gabriel emphasized that Mbuthuma’s success hinges on his patience and
readiness to seize his chances. “Pirates are a possession-based team, a team
that’s creating numerous goal-scoring chances,” he explained. “He will end
up on the scoresheet often enough, but at the same time he needs to be
patient. He needs to wait for his time – and when the time comes, he must
grab the opportunity.”
Praising the striker’s character, Gabriel described Mbuthuma as a humble,
hardworking, and highly coachable player with the right mindset for growth.
“One thing about Yanela is that he listens. He’s coachable and always wants
to improve. That’s what will help him go far.”
With Pirates set to return to action after the international break, all eyes
will be on whether Mbuthuma can build on his promising start and fulfill his
former coach’s confident prediction.
