Watch VideoNkosinathi Sibisi vows to etch his name in Soweto derby history

Nkosinathi Sibisi will be looking to lead Orlando Pirates to victory over rivals Kaizer Chiefs in the Betway Premiership clash on Saturday. Heroes and villains are created in theSoweto derby. That is why Nkosinathi Sibisi wants to continue defying the odds and etch his name in the history books of the fixture and Orlando Pirates Football Club.

Sibisi started the season viewed with different lenses at Pirates; the club hierarchy and his teammates appointed him to lead the team as captain – a responsibility he duly accepted. While his responsibilities included being the face of the team on-and-off the pitch, Sibisi still needed to represent the club through game-time. However, that wasn’t to be – newcoach Abdeslam Ouaddoupreferred the combination of Mbkezeli Mbokaz and Lebone Seema at centre-back.

Sibisi had done well in his previous seasons with Pirates, which led Bafana coach Hugo Broos to still call him – and play him – at AFCON in December, even though the team disappointingly finished in the round of 16. A double-edged sword arrived for Sibisi and Pirates late last year as Mbokazi was set to be lost to Chicago Fire from the start of the year, opening a vacancy which Sibisi has since filled alongside Seema in the heart of Pirates’ defence. Being a ‘playing captain’ had almost become a foreign concept at Pirates, with Sibisi’s predecessors, Innocent Maela and Happy Jele, both carrying out the leadership role largely from the bench or the stands. That’s why Sibisi has vowed to grab the opportunity with both hands.