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The German took over the Soweto giants in December 2019 and seems to have given them hope of ending a long period without trophies.
Orlando Pirates forward Frank Mhango says the arrival of coach Josef Zinnbauer helped players stay “focused and pushing” in their bid to end a six-year trophy drought.
The pirates last won the silver medal in 2014 when they won the Nedbank Cup and have not claimed the Premier Socer League (PSL) title since 2012.
Zinnbauer took over the coaching reins from Rhulani Mokwena as the Pirates struggled to get in shape, and the German managed to lead the Soweto giants to third place in the PSL.
It was a season in which Mhango thrived, finishing the campaign with 16 goals, as did Mamelodi Sundowns striker Peter Shalulile, who was then leaving for Highlands Park.
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“For me last season was wonderful. It was great to join a team like the Orlando Pirates and then become one of the team’s top scorers, ”Mhango told Front Runner.
“It was something I was looking forward to and it is something that is still going to happen. When I was still in Wits I told my [then] Coach Gavin that I’m going to score 15 goals but he said ‘hey, stop kidding me.
“If you want to score 15 goals you should go play Thohoyandou but I said that’s what I think, I’m going to score 15 goals.
“So I did it, I actually scored 16 goals by the grace of God. For me it was just a goal that I set for myself. I didn’t know what was going to go from Wits to Orlando Pirates, it happened very quickly.
“The moment the coach arrived, everything changed. You could see that everyone was focused and pushing. We started playing as a unit. We came together and thought, ‘Guys, this is our job, this is what we have to do, let’s push ourselves, let’s do it together.’
“Then we did it as a team. It was a great feeling because everyone participated. It was a team effort for us to do what we did. “
This season has seen Mhango’s progress marred by injuries and the Malawian has appeared in just two PSL matches, scoring a goal, from the penalty spot against AmaZulu.
But the 28-year-old feels he can still handle that last period better.
Aside from a good start on the home front, Mhango enjoys making a mark in Africa when the Pirates take part in the Caf Confederation Cup.
“There are many beautiful goals that I have scored, there are still beautiful goals to come. I need to wait this season, ”said Mhango.
“We did not start the season well, but in the middle of it we recovered some form and then Covid-19 came, so we were disappointed and we needed to go home, stay at home and that time the mentality of football was outside.
“We lost focus and momentum that we had. It was difficult. It was not just us, but all the teams. It was difficult.
“At the end of the day, we try to push each other as a team. That was the goal [to qualify for the Caf Confederation Cup] because this is a great club in Africa. We deserve to play in Africa.
“That was the goal. Even the coach said, ‘Guys, if we can’t be number one or number two, we still have to play in Africa. That was the goal when we started. “
The Pirates resume their league campaign by hosting SuperSport United on Saturday.
