Orlando Pirates midfielder Thalente Mbatha has opened up on going toe-to-toe with experienced campaigners like Teboho Mokoena, Marcello Allende and Bathusi Aubaas in the final of the Nedbank Cup.
The 24-year-old has been one of the surprise packages of the season, having only joined The Buccaneers in January on a six-month loan deal from SuperSport United.
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Mbatha quickly became an immense figure for Jose Riveiro's side, featuring in 13 of their league matches in 2024 and all five of the side's Nedbank Cup matches, including the 2-1 win over Mamelodi Sundowns in the final.
Speaking to media after the match, Mbatha revealed that a vote of confidence from the head coach was the reason he was confident going into the clash.
"The coach told us that we are also a quality team, so we shouldn't respect (fear) them," Mbatha revealed to journalists.
"He also told us that we must be confident on the ball. They are also human and we are also human. So, I feel like whenever I had the ball, they were also scared."
The Spaniard highlighted the midfielder's confidence as one of the major factors that contributed to the decision to start him against Sundowns, despite his inexperience.
"The coach gives us that confidence at training, he tells us that the things we do at training are going to happen in the match. The mistakes that happen will also happen in a match; no one is perfect.
"I feel like the confidence comes from training, and [the coach] telling us that we are going to win this game."
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Mbatha's loan spell with the Soweto giants expires at the end of June and it is expected that the club will exercise the option to buy the versatile midfielder.
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