Orlando Pirates coach Mandla Ncikazi would loved to have signed players in January but says it’s ’all about timing’

Durban - Orlando Pirates co-coach, Mandla Ncikazi has shone the spotlight on the transfer policy at the club after a relatively quiet period in the January transfer window in which no player was linked to the club.

The Buccaneers are 14 points behind runaways leaders and defending champions Mamelodi Sundowns on the DStv Premiership log, however the club have stood their ground and haven't felt forced to draw away from their current club transfer policy.

The Soweto giants aren’t known to be a club that conducts hasty and emergency business in the middle of the season and Ncikazi has revealed that even if he had wishes to strengthen in this period, it is not up to them (the coaches) but rather up to the powers that be at Pirates to make those type of decisions.

“As much as I would have loved to sign players in this window, we respect the people that handle that aspect of operations in the club, therefore we have to be in line with the vision and processes at the club.”

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“We as coaches are always ambitious and looking to improve our teams. If we had the resources like other teams, maybe we would even try to bring Lionel Messi to Pirates. We never have a perfect team therefore we can always bring people on board. But the timing of bringing players to our club is very important,” he explained.

Ncikazi will hope the return to fitness of star men Thembinkosi Lorch and Gabadinho Mhango will inject a new lease of life into his attack as they look to secure a place in next season’s CAF Champions League, win the Nedbank Cup while attempting to claim their first ever CAF Confederations Cup trophy.

“The club is looking towards a direction of continuity. We