After having served with distinction the junior ranks of the club, five promising youngsters have successfully graduated to don the black and white jersey of the mighty Buccaneers this season.

The announcement of this mega achievement in the development structures of the club was made during the official opening of the Orlando Pirates development program for 2010 in Mayfair yesterday afternoon.

Professor Augusto Palacios the Technical Director of the development program, presided the event in a duet with Club Communication Manager Mickey Modisane.

He said that the graduation of the five youngsters to the Orlando Pirates reserve sides, is part of the reshuffling process that the junior teams underwent last year and in the beginning of this year.

“We are trying to instill and intensify competitiveness in the development teams,” Palacios told Orlandopiratesfc.com “If a boy comes to us when he is 14 years, he will know that he has to be ready to play at the higher level when he turns 17 or 18. For 2010, we will not have 20-year-old boys still playing in our junior teams; unfortunately this will be the sad reality. The boys who are 16, 17 and 18 years old have to be ready to play for the first team; be loaned out to first division teams or join one of our two reserve sides, while others we will have to be released.”

Amongst the promoted players who will be joining the reserve sides are, SA Under17 captain Tshepo Liphoko (centre forward), dribbling wizard Lloyd Zondi (left winger), Mpho ‘Small’ Mofolo (midfielder), Richard Mkhize (central defender) and striker Innocent ‘Drogba’ Mkondeni.

Bucs midfielder Joseph Makhaniya who has also passed through the development program paid a courtesy visit to the structures to speak to the players.

While addressing the players he said: “You are privileged to be here today… when I was here, players did not have soccer boots, training kit and qualified staff like this, but I did my best with the little I had and achieved my goal...but now you have everything at your disposal, so make good use of this opportunity that you have… there are many other boys who want to be here, but you were chosen, it is in your hands now boys.” Meanwhile, coach Junior Bengu who will be at the helm of the reserve teams alongside Patrik Ntshaisa, is quite confident that the boys can surely play in the next level.

“I have been with some of these boys from Under12, so I don’t think it is going to be tough for them to cope because we know each other very well. You must remember that they are still learning, and it is just a matter of time until they mature enough to play for the first team,” he said.

During the ceremony it was also introduced the new home-and-away playing kit for the 2010 season.