Moremi realises long-term dream at Orlando Pirates with MTN8 triumph

“I didn’t have a trophy,” revealed an emotional Tshepang Moremi, who held court at the foyer of Mbombela Stadium on Saturday night after winning the MTN8 with Orlando Pirates.

Pirates beat Stellenbosch 3-0 in Nelspruit to clinch their record-extending fourth consecutive MTN8 title. All three goals came in extra time, with coach Abdeslam Ouaddou’s substitutes combining effectively to create them.

Moremi, who was duly crowned Player of the Match, made the biggest impact in front of a sold-out crowd at the Land of the Rising Sun.

He broke the deadlock just two minutes into extra time after connecting with Oswin Appollis’ cross behind the Stellenbosch defence, before providing an assist for Tshegofatso Mabasa’s goal just before the interval.

He then sealed the win early in the second half of extra time, beating the offside trap to latch onto another Appollis assist and calmly slotting the ball past a deflated Sage Stephens.

The triumph meant a lot to Moremi, who has made an impressive start to life at Pirates — realising every footballer’s dream of winning silverware — after a barren spell at former clubs AmaZulu and JDR Stars.

“I don’t have pressure in that regard,” Moremi said.

“Everyone has their own ways of doing things and how they want to build. So, I’m not in a hurry. Everything will happen step by step, day by day.

“Winning the MTN8 means a lot. I didn’t have a trophy to show for my career,” he added.

“Not everyone works as hard as I am working. All I can say is that I’m still going to win a lot of trophies. This is just the beginning.”

Moremi’s belief that more trophies are on the horizon might not be far off. He revealed in his post-match television interview that he had told his roommate during camp that he dreamt of winning the MTN8. And that’s not all — coach Ouaddou had even told him he was going to score the way he did. Prophecies that turned into reality on the night.

“It’s a great achievement because not everyone gets to do what I did,” Moremi explained.

“But before I came on, the coach told me I was going to score. I work very hard, so I have to keep pushing myself.

“I should be able to see the spaces behind the defence and make the runs. Then I’ll get an opportunity to score — and I did just that.”

Moremi is gaining confidence with every passing game. He didn’t have the best of starts at Pirates, often looking sluggish and wasteful in the final third. As a result, some members of the Ghost (Pirates’ fans) turned on him, calling for his exclusion from the match-day squad.

Thanks to the support he received from his family, teammates, coach Ouaddou and friends, he is now edging closer to his best form and understands what is expected of him in the team.

“Being at Pirates, you need to have heart and the right mindset,” he said. “There are a lot of instructions because it’s a big team. All I can say is that when you work hard, everything will eventually go your way.

“Pressure is there — but it depends on how you deal with it. In every game, it’s always there.”

Having studied and developed his football skills at the Rosina Sedibana Modiba Sports School in Sharpeville — a township that has produced a number of current and former PSL stars, including teammate Relebohile Mofokeng — there might seem to be added pressure on the 24-year-old to succeed.

Still, Moremi isn’t fazed.

“I don’t have pressure in that regard,” he reiterated. “Everyone has their own ways of doing things and how they want to build. So, I’m not in a hurry. Everything will happen step by step, and day by day.”

Moremi’s next task is to help Pirates launch their continental campaign on a high as they face Lioli FC of Lesotho in the CAF Champions League preliminary round at Toyota Stadium on Saturday afternoon (3pm kick-off).

He is no stranger to the competition, having been part of the AmaZulu squad that reached the group stages under coach Benni McCarthy — although he knows it will not be easy.

“I’m happy to be playing in the competition. It’s not my first time,” Moremi said. “I once played it with AmaZulu, but it was tough. I’m happy — and we’re still going to win a lot of trophies this season.”