Tshepang Moremi's eyes Bafana Bafana World Cup selection after brace for Orlando Pirates

Tshepang Moremi is starting to look the part at Orlando Pirates, and that augurs well for his club coach Abdeslam Ouaddou and Bafana Bafana coach Hugo Broos.

When Moremi arrived at Pirates, there was a lot of fanfare given that he was a regular at AmaZulu and on Broos’ radar. However, he didn’t hit top gear from the outset.

For someone who has pace and a knack for goal, he was sluggish and missing sitters. That made him endure a love-hate relationship with some of the Pirates fans, who are among the most impatient and demanding supporters in the country.

Ouaddou and some of Moremi’s coaches blocked the outside noise and continued to rally behind the Sharpeville-born footballer. And boy, he has repaid that faith in recent weeks.

Moremi came off the bench a few weeks ago in the MTN8 final against Stellenbosch FC to steer the Sea Robbers to the crown. He scored a brace and registered an assist in the 3-0 extra-time win.

The silverware meant a lot to him, so much so that he revealed it was his first trophy since he turned professional at AmaZulu almost six years ago.

The impact of Moremi in this team continues to be invaluable with every passing game. He scored yet another brace when they beat Lioli 4-0 in the CAF Champions League second leg, first-round preliminary qualifier on Saturday, as Pirates won the tie 7-0 on aggregate.

Moremi is competing for a spot at Pirates with players such as Oswin Appollis, who has also made a significant impact since arriving at the club.

With more options at his disposal, Ouaddou’s job will be easier going forward, as he’ll be able to rotate players for domestic and continental matches. After all, the Morocco-born coach said that everyone in the team is going to get a chance to play, which is why they need to give every player the same attention.

Pirates’ purple patch hasn’t gone unnoticed. When Broos announced his preliminary squad for the two crucial 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers against Zimbabwe and Nigeria at Moses Mabhida Stadium and Mbombela Stadium, he called up 11 players from Pirates — the most from any team.

And guess what? The 45-man preliminary squad included Moremi. The 24-year-old is no stranger to the national team set-up, having made his international debut against Tanzania in a friendly.

So, having not been in the team that faced Lesotho and Nigeria for the World Cup qualifiers, chances are high that Broos might consider him for the last two matches against Zimbabwe and Rwanda next month.

But that won’t come easy. He has to put in another good shift when they face TS Galaxy in the Betway Premiership and Siwelele in the Carling Knockout last 16 tomorrow and Saturday, respectively.

Broos needs the best players at his disposal for the two matches. They could decide Bafana’s qualification fate as they are in pole position in Group C with 17 points after five wins, two draws, and one loss.

Their three-point lead over the second-placed team could be nullified if FIFA docks them three points and awards a 3-0 defeat should they find Bafana guilty of fielding an ineligible Teboho Mokoena during the qualifier in March.

Broos is expected to name his final squad for the two matches sometime this week, and that’s why Moremi will be crossing his fingers and hoping to be there. His audition, though, must continue against Galaxy at home.