Selfless Orlando Pirates' new captain Nkosinathi Sibisi enjoying the fruits of his labour

Not in his wildest dreams did Nkosinathi Sibisi imagine it’d get this big. So, after surpassing his expectations, the 29-year-old credits patience and hard work.

Sibisi was officially announced as the club captain of Orlando Pirates early this week after a secret voting process by his teammates.

He will join an elite class of former captains which includes club legends Lucky Lekgwathi, Happy Jele and Innocent Maela.

Sibisi admitted he wasn’t expecting such a prominent role at the club, insisting he arrived as someone who only wanted to realise a childhood dream and play for the team.

“It is a great privilege and an honour for me to be the captain of such a big institution, Orlando Pirates,” Sibisi explained.

“As a young boy, I never thought in my wildest dreams that I would be able to play for the club - let alone captain the team. So, it’s an honour and a privilege.”

Sibisi wasn’t handed a golden spoon at Pirates by virtue of supporting the club, he had to work his way up the corporate ladder - like at his former club.

The KwaZulu-Natal-born defender was one of the last players to be promoted to the first team at former club Golden Arrows, despite leading the reserve team to the title in 2018.

And that’s not all. His inclusion in the Bafana Bafana set-up, amid limited game-time at Pirates in recent years, was under heavy scrutiny.

But such has been his ability to remain patient, support those who were ahead of him, and continue working hard, Sibisi is now enjoying the fruits of his labour for club and country.

“Patience is a virtue,” said Sibisi, who also captained Bafana in the last camp. “It’s not about being on the pitch. How can I put it? I don’t know the actual words to say it. 

“You can also be playing while still outside. If you are pushing the guys that are on the inside then you are helping, so that’s been - how do I call it? - my role.

“I have gone through that in my career, starting by supporting others. But whenever I get my chance, I grab it with both hands.”

Sibisi has duly grabbed his opportunity with both hands in the last few months. So much so that he was also voted as thePSL Defender of the Season on Tuesday night.

“It’s a great feeling,” Sibisi said of the recognition. “But like I said, I was up against quality players who had great seasons for their respective clubs.

“We’ve grown a bond among each other from the national team. I am close with Grant (Kekana), and I speak with Thabo (Moloisane).

“It’s an honour, and really nice to be recognised among so many good players. It just shows the hard work that one has put in, we are now reaping the fruits.” 

Sibisi knows that his job will be cut out for him more now that he’s wearing a lot of caps, and that’s why he must be at his best at all times.

His first assignment is to ensure that he leads the team to a record-extending fourth MTN8 crown in a row. A feat that’s exciting him, instead of scaring.

“When you’ve won it three times in a row, you don’t forget the feeling. You want to do it for the fourth, and fifth time. It’s a feeling that you don’t want to lose,” Sibisi said.

“It’s just for us to defend what’s ours, and be in the history books. I think the game from Saturday will be a good test for us coming from pre-season."

Pirates will face Polokwane City when they begin their MTN8 defence in Orlando, and Sibisi has described what it had been like working with new coach Abdeslam Ouaddou.

“I can’t really go much into it,” Sibisi said. “There are new ideas, which are completely different to how the former coach wanted us to play.

“So, I think it’s a matter of adapting to what he wants and trying to apply that to the best of our abilities.”