Kjell wants his men to be brave
JONEVRET: COACH SAYS BUCS WERE TIMID AGAINST WITS
Pirates looking for revenge against a side that beat them 6-0.
Kjell Jonevret wants his Orlando Pirates side to express themselves better when they host Mamelodi Sundowns tomorrow in their second game in a few days against a team challenging for the Absa Premiership title.
The Pirates coach felt his side were a little timid early on against league leaders Bidvest Wits on Wednesday evening as they fell to a narrow 1-0 defeat.
“I think we needed to be a little more brave in the first half and play a bit more. I know it is a tight schedule but … we looked a bit afraid. In the second half I was happier. But they scored, and they defend well when they are 1-0 up. In the end Wits were better than us,” said Jonevret.
“Sundowns is a new game. We know they are a good team but this is a home game and I hope our shoulders are a bit more down and we go and play. I see every day in training and I see in the warmup that we are good in possession, but today I didn’t see that (in the match). We should not be a team that kicks long balls, even if we do have (Thamsanqa) Gabuza there.”
Pirates have had a difficult season, including a 6-0 thumping from Sundowns at Loftus Versfeld just before Jonevret arrived at the club. Amazingly, the Premier Soccer League have still not taken decisive action over the crowd violence at that match. The new Pirates coach, meanwhile, was evasive over whether there was any desire for revenge in the Buccaneers camp.
“You will have to ask the players about that, but we want to win every game. I think there will be a few more people in the stadium on Sunday, it will be hot, and I hope we are ready for that,” said Jonevret.
Sundowns desperately need the three points tomorrow, after slipping further off the title pace with a 2-2 draw at home to Platinum Stars in midweek.
If the away defeat to Bidvest Wits on Monday evening was one coach Pitso Mosimane said he had catered for, dropping two points at home to Dikwena was certainly not on the Brazilians’ planning sheet.
Sundowns will again be without Algerian leftback Fares Hachi tomorrow, as he serves the second game of a two-match suspension.