Here’s three coaches who could steer Pirates
JOHANNESBURG: You know the football is going to be easy on the eye when these two sides meet – even if the unpredictable Victor Gomes is the man with the whistle.
Sundowns coach Pitso Mosimane made eight changes to the side that thumped Orlando Pirates 6-0 at the weekend, with Ivorian Yannick Zakri returning to the starting line-up for the first time since October. Mosimane had made it clear in the build-up to this PSL encounter that he would ring the changes because he needed fresh legs for the Caf Super Cup against TP Mazembe on Saturday night at Loftus.
It barely looked like a second-string team, overpowering the hosts Chippa and getting a 19th minute lead through captain on the day, Wayne Arendse. But their lack of match fitness – particularly Zakri and Teko Modise – became evident as they settled for a draw.
Chippa, although still quite enterprising when in possession of the ball, were hardly a threat in the final third. Their goal came courtesy of a Rhulani Manzini penalty, one highly debatable after defender Arendse appeared to have cleared the ball, while taking down Buyani Sali on the follow through. Referee Gomes did not hesitate, pointing to the spot in the 37th minute.
The second half did not produce enough clear-cut chances for either side, with the best goal-scoring opportunity for Sundowns falling on Modise’s lap. But the midfielder skied his shot over the bar, five minutes after the teams had emerged from the tunnel. Chippa also gave their visitors a scare when Linda Shiba blitzed past the flat-footed Downs defence and tested goalkeeper Wayne Sandilands, who managed to punch the ball away back into play, but safely away.
The result meant that the Brazilians could not cut the lead at the top and remain in fifth place on the league table, but still have an incredible five games in hand. Chippa moved back into the top eight. JOHANNESBURG: With a permanent coach at Orlando Pirates set to be announced on Monday, the rumour mill has been in overdrive. Augusto Palacios remains interim coach for tonight’s PSL clash against Wits, and away to Cape Town City on Saturday, but the truth is the 65-year-old Peruvian didn’t raise the bar high enough during his short stint as caretaker.
Irvin Khoza, the Pirates chairman, earlier this week said the best candidate for the job is currently tied to a contract and there was a deadlock in negotiations around his buyout clause. Here we look at three coaches who are immediately available and can do a better job than Palacios. Patrice Carteron The Frenchman has been kicking his heels in obscurity since throwing in the towel at African giants TP Mazembe in January last year. He is no doubt dying to get back into the thick of it, and what better way to do that than make his way to South Africa and take over a side in desperate need of a coach with such an incredible work ethic and a proven track record. Carteron clinched the 2015 CAF Champions League with Mazembe and guided the Mali national team to third place at the Africa Cup of Nations three years ago. Michel Dussuyer He is probably still reeling from failure to go beyond the group stages of Afcon with defending champions Ivory Coast last month and resigning shortly thereafter. Dussuyer, however, is a well-travelled coach and his rise in this continent should not go unnoticed. Sure, taking a talented Ivory Coast side to Gabon and surprisingly going home so early remains a blemish on his CV, but he can certainly do a much better job than Palacios is doing at the moment – even if the Frenchman is also just a temporary fix. Milovan Rajevac Contrary to reports, the former Ghana and Algeria coach is currently unattached and has even expressed a keen interest in taking over the Bafana Bafana job. Many will remember him for guiding Ghana to the quarter-finals of the 2010 World Cup, but he hasn’t had much success since moving from the Slovenian and Saudi Arabian leagues, then back to Africa to coach Algeria, where he quit in October after just two matches. Despite all that, the Serbian would still make a better alternative than the beleaguered Palacios.