Coach wants Pirates to kick on
Derby victory will give team a huge boost in confidence for matches and competitions ahead
Orlando Pirates coach Milutin “Micho” Sredojevic hopes their 2-1 win over Kaizer Chiefs in the Soweto derby at FNB Stadium on Saturday will have the desired psychological effect on the players for the remainder of the campaign.
Orlando Pirates coach Milutin “Micho” Sredojevic hopes their 2-1 win over Kaizer Chiefs in the Soweto derby at FNB Stadium on Saturday will have the desired psychological effect on the players for the remainder of the campaign.
The Buccaneers came from a goal down‚ including a missed penalty‚ to beat Chiefs and stay second on the log with only one point separating them from log leaders Bidvest Wits on the Premiership standings.
“Psychologically‚ you can get so much knowing that you have won a match of this magnitude and this could serve as an injection of motivation and self belief‚” said Sredojevic.
“For us‚ it was a match like any other because we could not get more than three points, but confidence is never enough.
“Players or a team without confidence is like a balloon without air. We look to inject our players because matches that we have ahead of us are tough.”
Pirates are among the favourites to win the league championship and they are still alive in the Telkom Knockout, where they are up against AmaZulu in the second round.
There is also the Nedbank Cup and the Caf Champions League later in the season, and Sredojevic wants his players to remain grounded after the derby triumph but keep the momentum going.
“Sometimes‚ what we do could not be understood by people that are outside [of the club] but inside we know the why and the how‚” he said.
“The door is open for players who are not playing because very soon we shall have those Caf Champions League qualifiers and other related matches that will bring us into an abnormal situation.
“The draw for the Caf Champions League will be made in December and in five months they need to finish the season from preliminaries‚ group stages‚ quarterfinals‚ semifinals and the final.
“When you look at the local league‚ it is an unbelievable situation, but you must have an answer for all those things.
“The way the matches are coming‚ every one of them is going to be important and we have no right to get carried away or to think anything else.”