Shonga over learning phase, set to deliver

Striker thankful for team’s faith

If you are going to judge Orlando Pirates striker Justin Shonga based only on goals scored, then his statistics don’t make for good reading.

However, the Zambian striker insists there’s a lot more to his game which fans may not see. He scored four goals in 23 appearances for Pirates last term after joining the club from Nkwazi FC.

Shonga also has four goals this campaign from 17 games, including the wonderful freekick he scored in Pirates’ 5-1 win against Seychelles’s Light Stars in the CAF Champions League preliminary clash at Orlando Stadium in midweek.

The 22-year-old has in fact been criticised by fans for missing clear-cut chances. Shonga even missed a penalty in Pirates’ 2-1 win over rivals Kaizer Chiefs in the Absa Premiership clash last month.

But he redeemed himself with a goal as Pirates beat Chiefs 2-1 again to advance to the Telkom Knockout final, which they will contest against Baroka on December 8.

“I think it was just a learning phase. I wasn’t performing well and missing a lot of chances – clear-cut chances,” Shonga acknowledged. “But I had to lift my head up and the coaches told me that ‘don’t look down and we are not going to move you out of the team’.

“I think it’s just the technique that’s required at that particular time and it might be that I want to take it in another way, but the keeper goes the right way then I end up missing that chance,” he said.

He said he’s grateful to have a technical team led by Micho Sredojevic that has backed him through the rough patch.

“The supporters expect me to score in each and every game, but the coaches would tell me that they understand if I don’t score, but at least I assist and I play better. The analysis that the coaches do before we even play give us hints on how we are supposed to play.

“So at least you have an idea of what you are going to face as in the opponents and it becomes easy for us as players, but it’s just that we need the right execution,” Shonga said. Shonga’s stats: 2017/18 Appearances: 23

Goals: 4

Assists: 8

2018/19 Appearances: 17

Goals: 4

Assists: 2.