A PROUD INSTITUTION

According to Google, an institution is “an organization founded for a religious, educational, professional, or social purpose”. I’ve read the definition 3 times and somewhat feel as though it is incomplete. As I continue searching for something that would feel like more of an appropriate meaning, I can’t help but wonder if the reason behind the doubt isn’t subconsciously influenced by a football club that is often referred to through the use of this obscure noun. An institution so great it practically gave birth to the game as we know it in this country. A behemoth of the local game. Dominic Rouse has never been so unknowingly deliberate in explaining this institution when he said, “colour is everything, but black and white is more”.

A DNA swab from Jomo Cosmos and Kaizer Chiefs will without a doubt prove Orlando Pirates’ paternity. To a certain extent, you can even link it to Mamelodi Sundowns’ transformation into the powerhouse it is today through the man who made it so; Zola Mahobe - a staunch Orlando Pirates supporter. With football greats directly and indirectly connected to this mecca, it is safe to assume that this institution has housed all things South African about the sport.

I’ve had the privilege of watching a few of the team’s retro games on TV - I’m still in awe as to not only how the team remained loyal to its legends, but equally preserved the style and quality of play. Ironically, every molecule about their recent game model has an advisory label that suggests no preservatives were added. Take the same game, provide high definition video quality, a more controlled crowd, an ultra-modern kit and you’d be forgiven for thinking you’ve just witnessed the most recent Orlando Pirates squad on the telly. “It’s not coaches who win trophies, but the institution '' remarked one Stanley “Screamer” Tshabalala when a journalist asked him about the non-renewal of a coach’s contract. With the benefit of hindsight, his statement was right on the money. This is a sign of a team that can discern its distinctive features and fully take advantage of them. A club that is cognisant of its surroundings and who it represents. The trademark of an institution that is embraced by the community.

2002/03 was the season the team made this fact known to the whole world. A statement so bold they had to say it with their chest, literally. They became the 1st team to confidently carry the Proudly South African logo on their kit. Take a quick trip to the organisation’s website and instantaneously you are reminded that to be a member of this movement you’re required to share a commitment to an uplifting ethos that promotes socio-economic change and progress. To a layperson, this translates to taking an oath to be an ambassador of your community. A country, to be more direct. Orlando Pirates took the daring decision to play superheroes. 11 in total. Not only that, they put on a garb for all to see. This all seems fine and dandy until one is forced to bring it all to practice.

Granted, they are no longer officially part of the movement, but the principle isn’t one that can be discarded once it’s ingrained into the core existence of one’s being. Let’s put this claim they made through a litmus test. I mean the last thing we want is to have hypocritical paladins. A simpler method would be scrutinizing the team they stow on the field of play. If nothing about it shouts “I am proud to be South African” then the exercise was rather futile. What better place to suss this out than the games which meant the most to the team? Taking into consideration that in the last decade the team played more cup finals than any other in the league, it is a no-brainer to focus our attention on the array of stars they’ve showcased.

In terms of hierarchy, the CAF Champions League final against Al Ahly is top of the ladder, closely followed by the CAF Confederation Cup against Etoile. In the CCL match, the starting line-ups for both legs were an all-out SA attack, with the only non-SA player (Collins Mbesuma) on the team sheet introduced as a sub. A careful consideration of the tournament's lack of restriction on the players' nationalities indicates the magnitude of this feat. Looking at the Étoile Sportive du Sahel match, all the infield players were locals. The only foreign player was their goalie (Felipe Ovono). What’s interesting to note between the 2 games is that the coaches heading up the teams also carried the South African passport.

Domestically, the club was involved in, give or take, 10 cup finals during that interval (4 x MTN 8, 2 x Nedbank and 4 x Telkom), and won 5 of them. That’s 10 possible starting XIs. Being cognisant of the fact that they could at any moment play no more than 3 non-SA players at that time puts a different twist on the matter. Of the 10, the team has only used their maximum allocated quota once in the starting line-up - A game against Baroka FC, during the Telkom final in 2018. Majority of these games they’ve predominantly fielded 1 foreign player, with the MTN 8 victory against KC in 2011 shouldered by a pure breed of local talent.

It is safe to conclude that the club has carried out their mantra of “local is lekker” and even did so way after their declaration. This rich history and culture is 2nd to none. No team has a clearer identity than the skull and the crossbones. No one boasts a more confined inheritance than the black and white army. A proud institution.

Stats Credit: Transfermarkt / @FootballTshepo