THE smile that flickered across Makhehleni Makhaula’s heavily bearded face as he looked ahead to Saturday’s Nedbank Cup final told the story of a man about to participate in arguably his favourite match.
Makhaula is a certainty to start for Orlando Pirates against Mamelodi Sundowns in the decider of the country’s premier club knockout competition at Mbombela Stadium (3pm kick-off), and the prospects of a third winner’s medal has rightly got the 34-year-old fired up.
“This cup final means a lot to me (because) it will be my third medal if I take it, if we defend it,” Makhaula told journalists during the Buccaneers’ open day at Orlando Stadium this week.
“It will really mean a lot to me because it is one of the biggest matches in South African football.”
Though he has two winners’ medals, the man from Mohlakeng, near Randfontein, has only ever played a mere four minutes in the final, when he came on as a late substitute for Harris Tchilimbou at the Cape Town Stadium back in 2018 during Free State Stars’ 1-0 victory over Maritzburg United.
He was part of the Orlando Pirates squad that won the trophy last year, courtesy of a 2-1 beating of Sekhukhune United, but he was not even in the matchday squad then. He still got a medal, though.
☠️ 📸 𝗟𝗔𝗧𝗘𝗦𝗧 𝗣𝗜𝗖𝗦 📸
🏃🏾 Team Training
📅 28 May 2024
📍 Orlando Stadium
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This time around, bet on the box-to-box midfielder to play a key role as Pirates seek to complete a cup double over the Premiership champions, whom they beat in the season-opening MTN8 final.
Makhaula is pleased with how he has become a regular of coach Jose Riveiro, who rates him very highly, the Spaniard having publicly said that Makhaula is so important to the team that he has a huge influence on how the Buccaneers perform.
“I saw the coach’s interview when he said, ‘If Cash is not playing, the team does not play well, but if he plays, the team does well’.”
Those words have served as further encouragement to the player, who always takes his mentor’s advice seriously and hopes to give his all in the season’s final encounter.
“I think (my improvement as a player from a more defensive one to an attack-minded midfielder) that’s what we do at training, and the coach tells me to move forward more often,” Makhaula said.
☠️ 🫅🏾 𝗣𝗟𝗔𝗬𝗘𝗥 𝗢𝗙 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗠𝗢𝗡𝗧𝗛 🫅🏾
— Orlando Pirates (@orlandopirates) May 28, 2024
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“I will still run from my goals to the other side, and I am going to score goals.
“I am always working hard at training, and everything I do, I do it with love – and everything the coach tells me to do, I do.”
And he has definitely loved having the dazzling Nedbank Cup gold medal dangling from his neck on the final day of the season.
He is sure to want to have that experience for a third occasion, this time having played an influential role on the pitch.