BENNI’S BACK
MCCARTHY RETURNS WITH CITY TO FACE PIRATES
Sredojevic hoping for a spectacle at the FNB Stadium tonight.
Orlando Pirates coach Micho Sredojovic has praised his counterpart Benni McCarthy as the Buccaneers prepare to face City in an Absa Premiership encounter at the FNB Stadium this evening.
The match sees McCarthy come up against the side where he ended a glorious playing career, with his time as a head coach at City also off to a fantastic start. McCarthy has already taken the Cape side into the MTN8 final, and they also won their opening two league games, though they were brought back down to earth last week with a loss at home to Kaizer Chiefs.
Sredojevic, meanwhile, was brought in to stabilise Pirates after an awful 2016/17 campaign, and he has done a fine job thus far, going unbeaten with eight points from his first four league games.
“Cape Town City are a very competitive team, coached by my colleague Benni McCarthy. He has good playing experience even though he is still new in the coaching business,” said Sredojevic.
“I have a great respect for him, and the team did well last season. Now he has put them together and they have reached the final of the MTN8 ... I hope we are going to see great football.”
Micho went on to explain that he is still trying to build the club following their dismal display last season. But the Pirates coach is confident that he will get the team where it has to be.
“You know football, it’s not like a telephone you press and it works. Football has no logic, you go two steps forward, three back, four forward and two back. You need to work hard in order to be consistent,” the Bucs mentor continued.
“The team is looking good, I am enjoying my working relationship with everyone at the club. We are all working hard every day to ensure we reclaim the pride of the badge that is in our jersey, which is carrying many dreams of our supporters. We just need to make it a point that we learn from our mistakes and make sure we become a better team than we have been.”
While Pirates played against Maritzburg United in KZN on Friday evening, drawing 0-0, City have the advantage of having had a weekend off to prepare for the Buccaneers. It remains to be seen if McCarthy will give a chance to new Nigerian striker Victor Obinna against Pirates, meanwhile, with his side having drawn a blank against Chiefs.