Bucs hope their spark cracks Chiefs defence
Orlando Pirates have proved lethal in front of goals in the second round of the season, with 15 goals this year, failing in only one league match – their 3-0 defeat to Ajax Cape Town in January.
However, Buccaneers coach Milutin “Micho” Sredojevic has challenged his troops to substantiate their sharpness in attack by scoring against Kaizer Chiefs – the league’s least conceding team with only 12 goals – as the two Soweto giants square off at FNB Stadium on Saturday (3.30pm).
“I challenge our players, if we [are] so good in the second round of the season, let us try against the best defence to be dominant, effective and with much better conversion ratio.
“We’ve been working hard in training to be able to score against one of the best three goalkeepers in Africa [in] Itumeleng Khune. They are [Chiefs] a very top-class defending team.”
Micho has once again reiterated that they will not entertain any talk about their chances of winning the Absa Premiership, feeling any utterances about their title ambitions will “lock the legs of the players”.
“With all due respect, we have no right to speak about that [league title] because it will lock the legs of our players. Let them feel free. Why put pressure on them? Pressure stays with me and coach Rhulani Mokwena [his assistant],” noted Sredojevic.
“Maybe time will come when we will openly say we are going for trophies, but at the moment we’re still experimenting,” added the Pirates coach on the sidelines of the Soweto derby media conference at PSL offices yesterday.
Unlike his Pirates counterpart, Chiefs mentor Steve Komphela thinks the winner of the Soweto derby will stand a good chance of challenging leaders Mamelodi Sundowns who are on 40 points, four ahead of second-placed Pirates. Chiefs are third, have accumulated 35 points.