Derby win can spur Bucs on
MICHO: WE NEED THAT SELF-BELIEF
Orlando Pirates coach Micho Sredojevic hopes their victory in the Soweto derby against Kaizer Chiefs will enable his charges to believe in themselves in their pursuit for the Absa Premiership title.
Sredojevic’s side beat their arch-rivals 2-1, making it five wins in the league for the Buccaneers after 11 games, with four draws and two losses in the process. They are currently second in the Premiership with 19 points, one behind leaders Bidvest Wits, who have a game in hand.
“Before this win, it was 60 points to fight for, from this moment it is now 57. It was a match like any other, you cannot get more than three points. But psychologically you can get so much, bearing in mind you have won and this could serve as an injection of self-belief because confidence can never be enough.
“Players and teams without confidence are like a balloon without air. We are looking at providing that belief ahead of the matches in front of us which are going to be very difficult.”
For Amakhosi, the loss saw them drop to seventh place with 14 points after 11 games. However, Chiefs head coach Giovanni Solinas is still optimistic.
“We haven’t won in the last four games and this is not good for Kaizer Chiefs. But in my opinion we have the potential,” said the Chiefs coach.
“The league is very balanced, it is not over. We will continue fighting and try to win more games and put the team in a high position on the table because Kaizer Chiefs are a big club. But at the moment, yes, we haven’t collected a lot of points in the last few games.”
Chiefs and Pirates now turn their attention to the Telkom Knockout quarterfinals this weekend, with Amakhosi hosting SuperSport, while Pirates are away to AmaZulu.
In the league, Solinas will be hoping they bounce back from the Bucs defeat when they host Black Leopards at the FNB Stadium on November 7, while Micho will be looking at continuing with their winning form when they travel to Limpopo to face Polokwane City at the Peter Mokaba Stadium on November 6.