Orlando Pirates are wasting no time in building for the future. Following a historic, record-breaking season in the DStv Diski Challenge (DDC), six academy prodigies have officially been handed a massive opportunity to train with the first-team squad on the opening day of pre-season.
The young Buccaneers were spotted in the club’s official media channels as first-team head coach Abdeslam Ouaddou begins assessing the next wave of talent ahead of the 2026/27 campaign.
A Golden Generation of Invincibles
The six youngsters earned their step up after orchestrating one of the most dominant campaigns in reserve league history. Under coach Roscoe Krieling, the Pirates reserve side captured their first-ever DDC title in the 2025/26 season, shattering Kaizer Chiefs’ previous record by accumulating an astonishing 75 points.
Now, these six starlets are looking to turn their academy success into top-flight breakthroughs:
- Cristian Derbyshire (Central Defender)
- Mpho Mphekgoane (Central Defender)
- Tshepo Mhlambi (Left-Back)
- Simphiwe Masilela (Midfielder)
- Lebohang Mohlale (Midfielder)
- Lungelo Dondolo (Midfielder)
Ticket to Spain Up for Grabs?
The stakes couldn’t be higher for the promoted starlets. Coach Ouaddou is closely monitoring the group during these initial sessions in Jo’burg, with a view to potentially naming them in the traveling squad heading to Spain for the secondary phase of pre-season.
Pirates have a rich, proven track record of fast-tracking youth system graduates into global superstars. With former academy standouts like Mbekezeli ‘TLB’ Mbokazi, Relebohile Mofokeng, and Mohau Nkota recently using the Mayfair pathway to launch massive senior and international careers, this new crop of DDC champions knows that the door to the Betway Premiership is wide open.
