Micho coy on final touches
Bucs mentor bullish, hopes to end barren run
Orlando Pirates coach Micho Sredojevic is one hurdle away from fulfilling his promise to the Bucs faithful.
On his return to the country just over a year ago, the Serbian had one thing in mind; to heal the souls of the long-suffering club supporters.
Pirates last tasted cup success in 2014 when they won the Nedbank Cup by beating Bidvest Wits 3-1 in the final while under the guidance of Sredojevic’s countryman, Vladimir Vermezovic.
Five years later and Sredojevic is on the cusp of ending their long wait for silverware.
Surprisingly, this time, Sredojevic, who is having a second bite of the cherry at the helm at Pirates, after his first stint in 2006, has been avoiding questions about the final, insisting the Buccaneers were taking it one step at a time, and only focusing on the job at hand.
However, the one thing that’s been clear during his interactions with the media is that Bucs have been doing a lot of planning for each individual fixture, which explains the many changes they’ve made in some games despite winning the previous match.
“We approach each game looking closely at the opponents’ strengths and ways to expose their weaknesses,” Sredojevic said recently in between domestic and Caf Champions League games.
“In the same moment, we present our strengths and hide the weaknesses, so with that approach we look forward to each game as it comes,” said the Serbian.
“We shall see what the bill brings us in the times ahead.”
Pirates, though, have not been good at hiding their weak points. They have conceded in 15 of their 20 matches in all competitions this season.
The 49-year-old, meanwhile, is clearly not one to easily get carried away about his opponents. He even dismissed assertions that they are a “beatable” opponent for Bucs.
“When someone talks about Baroka like a team that is beatable, I want to respect that opinion.
“But, in the same moment, we need to give them absolute respect, having in mind that they have reached the final by beating two top teams (Mamelodi Sundowns and Bidvest Wits),” he said.
We need to give Baroka respect, they beat two top teams