Palacios wants Mobara to up game

ORLANDO Pirates coach Augusto Palacios has said that headline signing Abbubaker Mobara needs to fight to regain a starting place at his new club.

Mobara’s absence from Pirates’ starting XI has been glaring since the departure of Muhsin Ertugral as head coach.

Bucs’ new right-back signing arrived as one of the biggest acquisitions made during the off-season.

His signing from Ajax Cape Town was announced while he was on duty for the shadow South Africa U23 team that won the Cosafa Cup in Windhoek as part of their preparation for the Rio Olympics.

At the Olympics in August‚ Mobara marked Barcelona star Neymar out of the game in South Africa’s 0-0 draw against the hosts and eventual winners Brazil.

He was virtually ever-present under Ertugral at the start of the season.

But Ertugral had started to rest a tired-looking Mobara from when he was replaced in the 60th minute of Bucs’ 1-1 away draw against Polokwane City on October 16‚ three matches before Pir 6-1 loss against SuperSport United that led to the coach’s departure.

Palacios is yet to field Mobara in his five matches in charge‚ preferring young Thembela Sikhakhane at right-back.

“Coaches are different. Remember we have 28 or 29 players. I cannot field all the players‚” Palacios explained last week of Mobara’s continued absence.

“I have a philosophy which is very clear. If a player in the team is perfo I will not remove him.

“But it depends on the opponents‚ the system on the field and on the scoreline in a game.

“Mobara‚ Riyaad Norodien – everybody is welcome in the team. But you need to create the competition.”

Winger Norodien‚ signed with Mobara from Ajax‚ has made two substitutes’ appearances under Palacios having also been a favourite of Ertugral’s. — TMG Sport