Orlando Pirates midfielder Thalente Mbatha has played down the buzz around his impressive winning record in the Buccaneers’ starting line-up, insisting his focus is on doing his job as the club prepares for a blockbuster MTN8 final against Mamelodi Sundowns in Durban.
Mbatha’s results whenever he has started for the Soweto giants have been widely shared on social media, but the Pirates man says he doesn’t chase the numbers.
The last time he tasted defeat in a Pirates shirt dates back to the Nedbank Cup final in May 2025 against Kaizer Chiefs, having gone through the entirety of the 2025/26 season without defeat in matches he featured in.
“I’ve seen the pictures and everything [on social media] but for me? My job is to do my job here at Pirates so I don’t go around looking for that [stats] if the team doesn’t lose or anything, football is in three dimensions, you win, draw, or lose,” Mbatha said.
“So for me, it’s a matter of doing my job and if the team continues winning, it means I’m part of the team that’s doing their job.”
Belief and unfinished business
The midfielder’s humble approach reflects a wider mentality inside the Pirates camp, one he says has been built on resilience. With the MTN8 final set for Moses Mabhida Stadium on Saturday, Mbatha was clear about what drives the group against a Sundowns side that has long been their fiercest rival.
“I can say we’re a team that believes in ourselves, we’re a team that doesn’t stop believing, that’s why we have been chasing the league and luckily last season we got to win the league and share some moments with the players we had,” Mbatha said.
“Some are gone, some are still here, we are a team that will continue working hard and will be able to win this final on Saturday.”
A familiar rivalry on a big stage
Few fixtures in South African football carry as much weight as Pirates versus Sundowns, and with silverware on the line in Durban, the occasion promises to live up to the billing.
For Mbatha, the message is simple: keep working, keep believing, and let the results speak for themselves. Whether his winning run continues will be settled on Saturday at Moses Mabhida Stadium.