Keeper’s howler has coach fuming
Jonty Mark
Milutin Sredojevic says the Orlando Pirates technical team have spoken extensively with goalkeeper Wayne Sandilands after his blunder helped Mamelodi Sundowns beat Orlando Pirates 3-1 on Wednesday night.
The Pirates coach could yet select Jackson Mabokgwane to play between the poles in tomorrow’s Telkom Knockout quarterfinal at home to Polokwane City, but that is likely to have more to do with the fact that Mabokgwane had already been used as the Pirates keeper in the first round of the same competition.
Sandilands has been Pirates’ regular No 1 in the league this season, but had a night to forget this week, watching on helplessly in the opening minute as Abbubaker Mobara’s attempted clearance hit Hlompho Kekana and trickled into the net, and then allowing Kekana’s effort from inside his own half to find a way through his palms.
“Today we put him (Sandilands) as a technical team in a ‘box’, where he was inside and we were talking to him from all possible angles,” said Sredojevic yesterday.
“Just last year he was a history-maker in the Champions League (with Mamelodi Sundowns), this year he has had his ups and downs, but it is about how you lift yourself. We have in front of us a technical challenge on whether in the cup we continue with Jackson … it is a technical decision and we will take it in the next 24 hours.”
However, Sredojevic had kind words for Thabo Qalinge, who has been in excellent form for Pirates this season, but who missed a glorious chance against Sundowns.
“He is a very important member of the team, he works hard, he moves well without the ball, he makes the angles he needs to get chances. It is very hard to explain, the hardest thing is to get a chance to succeed, it is much easier to have a killer instinct.
“It is a masterpiece of coaching to sort out all issues in that regard.”
Polokwane City and Pirates met in the league as recently as September 30 at the Peter Mokaba Stadium in Polokwane, with Thamsanqa Gabuza’s stoppage-time goal earning the Buccaneers a 2-2 draw.
“We must give respect to the team of Polokwane but most of all we want to have respect for ourselves and for our supporters. We want to enter that match from the kick-off and go on all-out attack and to convert much better and not to concede comical goals ( like against Sundowns) that I have not seen before in 25 years as a coach,” said Sredojevic.