Sipho Mbule: Bafana Bafana Star Reacts After Winning First Title With Orlando Pirates

Sipho Mbule: Bafana Bafana Star Reacts After Winning First Title With Orlando Pirates

  • Sipho Mbule has reacted after Orlando Pirates defeated Stellenbosch FC to retain the MTN8 title for the fourth year in a row
  • The Soweto giants' summer signing was played in a more attacking role, with Patrick Maswanganyi still absent from the team due to injury
  • Netizens also shared their thoughts on the former Mamelodi Sundowns midfielder's performance against the Stellies

Orlando Pirates summer signing Sipho Mbule believes the Buccaneers’ fourth straight MTN8 triumph is a direct result of the hard work put in during their pre-season camp in Spain.

Sipho Mbule, Orlando Pirates, Stellenbosch FC, MTN8.
Sipho Mbule wins his first title with Orlando Pirates after their victory over Stellenbosch FC in the MTN8 final. Photo: the_real_master_chef
Source: Instagram

The South African international, who left Mamelodi Sundowns for the Soweto giants this summer, has now won his first title with his new club.

He hopes to win more titles this season. In addition, he returned to the national team, playing in both games against Lesotho and the Super Eagles of Nigeria during the international break.

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Mbule reacts after winning MTN8

Mbule admitted the last two weeks had been challenging but credited the team’s pre-season work for their resilience in the final against Stellenbosch.

“It hasn’t been easy, but the effort we put in during pre-season really shows. Even in extra-time, everyone looked sharp, and that’s down to the hard work we did in Spain and continued once we returned home,” he told SuperSport TV.

When asked bout playing in a new No. 10 role with Patrick 'Tito' Maswanganyi's absence due to injury, Mbule responded with a smile that any position he finds himself in, he's expected to 'cook' and deliver on the job.

He also expressed gratitude to Bafana Bafana coach Hugo Broos for giving him another chance at the international level, after featuring in the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers against Lesotho and Nigeria.

"I was pleased with how we performed, the minutes I got, and the trust the coach showed me. For me, it was a stepping stone to grow further and bring that same energy here at Pirates,” he explained.

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Orlando Pirates, MTN8.
Orlando Pirates players celebrate after winning the MTN8 title this weekend. Photo: @orlandopirates
Source: Twitter

Fans shared their thoughts on Mbule's performance in the final while he was being played as a number 10 on social media.

Curriculum_vitae said:

"I love how he us enjoying his craft, very talented player."

Donovan Calvin Meyer wrote:

"This boy was always made for Pirates, he is at home , perfectly fit, he must just work extra hard, History will remember him kindly."

Zukisa_Mlomo shared:

"Easy to praise people when you've won but truth be told, he didn't have the best of his time in that match at all and had the result been the other way round, I'm sure you'd be singing a different tune bcz Stellies dominated the midfield with Mthiyane and De Jong."

by_greatest commented:

"This man has never been happy like this in a long long long time!"

Simphiwe Buthelezi reacted:

"He is very good indeed,however He needs to be work on His weight because He doesn’t last for 90min."

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__Yangalala added:

"Mbatha and Mbule should start the game as a 10 & 8, Press the opponent so hard, get a minimum of 2 goals in the first half! and then consider to play abo Mariko, Nemtajela , Dlamini, Tito around the 70th min, But Mbatha should play at least 80min, he’s very fit & focused!!"

How much Pirates earned for winning MTN8

Briefly News earlier reported on the amount Pirates earned after being crowned the winners of the MTN8.

The Soweto giants made a significant amount of money as the winners, while the runner-up and other participants were also rewarded.

Source: Briefly News

Authors:
Raphael Abiola avatar

Raphael Abiola (Sports editor) Raphael Abiola is a Nigerian Sports Journalist with over seven years of experience. He obtained a B.Tech degree in Computer Science from the Federal University of Technology, Akure, in 2015. Raphael previously worked as a football editor at Stakegains (2016-2018) and a content editor with Opera News Nigeria (2018-2023). Raphael then worked as an Editor for the Local Desk at Sports Brief (2023-2024). Reach him via email at raphael.abiola@sportsbrief.com.