Mabasa looks back at the magical 34 passes that led to his hat-trick

It was Mabasa’s second hat-trick this season for his club, but this one was executed in style after some good passes interchange.

The Botshabelo-born marksman also credits the good work head coach Jose Riveiro has done with them in the past few seasons.

"Yes, there's a saying I can't remember if it's from Pep, he had said that ‘To keep possession, you have to keep position.’ Each and everyone knows their role within the team, how we want to play together as a team, how the coach instructs us to play, that was just true evidence of what we've been working on with the coach and what the coach has brought to this club and for us to score that way,” Mabasa said.

“I mean, I don't know how many passes, I think it was 34 if I'm not mistaken and what's ironic is that before that period started, [if] we keep the ball for a long period of time, we actually lose the ball.

“I think it was after the shot that Philip took that hit the crossbar and they had the ball and we counter pressed and we won it. So, all of these. That goal practically speaks to what Orlando Pirates is and what Orlando Pirates is about."

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Mabasa has now scored 12 goals in 30 matches in all competitions this season. 

This was his second hat-trick of the season after having done so in the league during the 8-1 demolition of Marumo Gallants.

Mabasa says what made that goal special was the counter-pressing moment and the fact that all 10 infield players managed to touch the ball before he completed his hat trick.

"Definitely, I think the fact that all 10 players touched the ball, in field players touched the ball, the fact that we won it in a counter-pressing moment and then to keep possession for that period of time and for it to end up in the back of the net,” he added. “Coach always tells us, finish the action, finish the action, finish the action and that is exactly what we did so yeah."