Long way to the final, says Zinnbauer
ORLANDO Pirates coach Josef Zinnbauer is not getting ahead of himself, thinking his team will win the Nedbank Cup. Instead, he’s focused on taking each game as it comes.
Pirates are the only team that has won silverware this season, after claiming the MTN8. But it seems like they could very well add another trophy to their cabinet after an impressive outing in the Nedbank Cup thus far.
On Saturday night they trounced Maritzburg United 3-1 to progress to the quarter-finals of the competition. Second half goals from Kabelo Dlamini, Deon Hotto and Vincent Pule sealed the comefrom-behind win after Thabiso Kutumela had put United ahead.
But Zinnbauer says there’s still a long way to go.
“We’ll have to see what will happen in the next game.
“The teams that will be in the next round are strong teams, so we cannot say that it will be easy to win the games or the title. We are just happy about the next round,” he said at the Harry Gwala Stadium.
“We’ll have to see which opponent we’ll get.
“But for us what’s important is to win the next game. It’s a long way to the final game. So firstly, we’ll have to see what will happen in the next round of the competition.”
Pirates’ performance in cup competitions has been different compared to their league matches. In knockout football, they’ve won all nine matches this season, scoring 17 goals, while conceding just two.
But in the DStv Premiership, the Bucs have stuttered.
They are fourth on the standings with 29 points, seven behind leaders and champions Mamelodi Sundowns, who have two games in hand.
Sure, Pirates have had troubles in the striking department since the start of the season after losing most of their regulars to injuries.
But why is it that they can’t produce consistent performances in all competitions?
“I don’t know where the difference is, because as a coach you want a 100% performance from all matches. But maybe the cup game is like a final. The team is always ready to win. I think they need this pressure for all the matches,” Zinnbauer said.