Nkosinathi Sibisi, captain of Orlando Pirates, celebrates with a young buck after winning the Betway Premiership title after beating Orbit College at Mbombela Stadium on Saturday.
Image: BackpagePix
Orlando Pirates captain Nkosinathi Sibisi has praised the club’s supporters after a championship-winning season in the Betway Premiership, highlighting their influence throughout a demanding campaign.
The Buccaneers sealed the title with a win over Orbit College at the Mbombela Stadium on Saturday.
Pirates enjoyed strong backing all season, with packed stadiums becoming a regular feature of their title charge despite occasional tension between fans and the team.
“They’ve been massive for us in this journey, as a family, they’ll always be fights here and there but we’ll always move forward,” Sibisi said.
The skipper acknowledged the scale of support behind the team, pointing to the consistency of full stadiums as a major motivating factor.
“I think 70% of our games that we’ve played, it’s been in fully packed stadiums and that’s kudos to them because they spend their hard earned money to support the boys and we didn’t disappoint.”
That backing played a key role as Pirates went head-to-head with Mamelodi Sundowns in a tight title race that went down to the wire.
Sibisi also reserved praise for head coach Abdeslam Ouaddou, who arrived at the start of the season and quickly reshaped key areas of the squad.
“Top top human being first and foremost but also a top coach. It’s been a pleasure working with him, he’s brought in elements that have helped us and you can tell from the numbers of clean sheets we’ve kept and the number of goals we’ve scored.”
Under Ouaddou, Pirates showed noticeable improvement in defensive organisation and attacking efficiency, which proved crucial over the course of the campaign.
Their ability to manage pressure in high-stakes moments ultimately separated them in a closely contested race.
The relationship between players and supporters remained central to their success, even during moments of criticism earlier in the season when results were inconsistent and expectations were high.
However, Sibisi insisted that unity within the club never broke, with players feeding off the energy from the stands in decisive matches.
As the season concluded with silverware, Pirates’ triumph was shaped by collective effort both on and off the pitch.
For Sibisi, the title represents more than just football success, but a reward for a group and fanbase that stayed connected through the highs and lows of a memorable campaign.