Changes to Bucs side paid off – coach

ORLANDO Pirates’ six changes for their 2-0 victory against Ajax Cape Town were a risk‚ Bucs coach Milutin Sredojevic said‚ but one that brought them not only a valuable Nedbank Cup win but also further options.

Sredojevic gave the definite sense of a coach who believes that his plan is slowly coming together following Saturday night’s victory at the Orlando Stadium in Soweto‚ a fifth win from seven games for the Buccaneers.

The coach had some injuries (notably Abubaker Mobara)‚ doubts‚ and a suspension to Musa Nyatama going into the cup tie‚ but said that of the six changes from his team’s 2-1 league win against Maritzburg United‚ some were not forced. “We have worked very hard with‚ in seven days‚ three competitive matches‚ going to Rustenburg, to Cape Town, then playing that game against Maritzburg‚ the hardest-running team in the league‚” Sredojevic said.

Bucs beat Platinum Stars 2-0 in Rustenburg, while Ajax shocked Bucs 3-0.

“We paid an expensive bill because some of the players have been out – Thabiso Kutumela sick‚ Nyatama suspended.

“The rest of the changes‚ like Siyabonga Mpontshane [in at goalkeeper for Jackson Mabokgwane]‚ were planned for the cup. “It was a risk. A risk that paid off. “It was not easy to play against a team that put 10 players behind the ball‚ looking for the counterattack.

“But we believed in our model‚ and that even the hardest stone‚ once you are insisting‚ you can crack.

“We looked for that throughpass‚ and it happened in the first half at the right time‚ opening them with a great football action [for Bernard Morrison’s opener].

“At half time we stabilised‚ with a player out‚ Diamond Thopola.

“We put the rest of the team in the right positions to close up defensively‚ so we could express ourselves from the point of view of football and kill the game‚ scoring within minutes of the second half.

“This also from a wonderful football action with the throughpass by Lorch to Morrison‚ and him finishing in a cool way.

“In cup matches it’s important only to pass through‚ even if it’s by half-zero.

“This was one good benefit from the match.

“The second was that we risked so much with six changes.

“Whenever in football you make more than three changes‚ you lose the complexion of the continuity of the team. “So we have risked‚ and benefited. “Benefited from the point of view that we have widened the pool of players‚ having now two players fighting per position‚ and no comfort zone to relax.

“This will lift the quality of the performance and of the results that we are looking forward to.”

Pirates are in second place in the league on 33 points‚ five points behind leaders Mamelodi Sundowns.