Former Orlando Pirates striker Marks Maponyane, has heaped praises on Miguel Timm, who clichéd his first trophy in Pirates colours, after defeating AmaZulu 1-0 in the MTN8 final at Moses Mabhida Stadium on Saturday.
Timm produced a man-of-the-match performance, after making his way back to the lineup after his suspension, which caused him to miss the Kaizer Chiefs Soweto derby last weekend.
Maponyane singled out Timm as the unsung hero in the Pirates team, after his display in nullifying the Usuthu midfield, and ensuring that the Buccaneers remain resolute, to walk away with their first silverware under José Riviero.
“Timm was the missing link in the Soweto derby, I mean he was winning all the tackles in the middle of the park,” Maponyane told This is Football.Africa.
“What I like about Timm is that he is consistent, he wins tackles and he doesn’t give the ball away, he keep it simple; he doesn’t try funny stuff.
“All he does, he wins the ball and he plays it to the man in front of him and he’s very composed, that’s one element I love about his game; he’s a very quality player,” said the ex-Chiefs forward.
The Soweto giants triumph in the MTN8, means that they have now won the tournament a record four times since MTN took over the sponsorship of the competition, back in 2008. Pirates have won the trophy in 2010, 2011, 2020 and 2022.
Furthermore, the 60-year-old retired star expressed his disappointment over AmaZulu strikers Gabadinho Mhango and Lehlohonolo Majoro, after posing little or no threat to Pirates.
“If you look at Mhango he was not himself in this match, I expected a lot from him, I also expected a lot from Majoro, but they were both not convincing with those missed chances. But I guess it was not meant to be for AmaZulu, but it was honestly not one of the most exciting finals. It was just won by who wanted it the most and in this instance, it was Pirates.”
