While players and head coaches often receive the acclaim for Orlando Pirates’ recent dominance, a behind-the-scenes maestro has been quietly engineering the club’s return to glory. Newly promoted assistant coach Rayaan Jacobs, whose decade of meticulous work was spotlighted in the recent Bucs Camp docu-series, has proven to be the club’s secret strategic weapon.
Jacobs’ first stint at the club spanned from 2013 to 2018, where he served a dual role as Head Performance Analyst and coach of the MultiChoice Diski Challenge team. His influence, however, stretches back even further, with his management of the club’s video library and data systems dating to 2009. His role was comprehensive: from designing individualized training exercises and scouting recruits using data, to delivering direct, strategic season reports to the chairman that shaped long-term planning.
His fingerprints are on some of the club’s most significant campaigns, including the 2011 MTN8 win, Nedbank Cup victories in 2011 and 2014, the 2013 CAF Champions League final run, and the 2015 CAF Confederations Cup final appearance. After a period away where he assisted Benni McCarthy to an MTN8 title at Cape Town City, Jacobs’ return in 2022 heralded a new golden era.
Since rejoining—first as head of performance analysis and now as assistant coach—Pirates have secured an impressive six trophies in just four years. Remarkably adaptable, Jacobs has provided crucial consistency while working under a diverse array of eleven head coaches, from Muhsin Ertugral and Milutin Sredojevic to the current boss, Jose Riveiro.
More than just an analyst or an assistant, Rayaan Jacobs has been the strategic constant, a behind-the-scenes architect whose data-driven insight and tactical preparation have been fundamental to building the modern Pirates’ dynasty.
