Bucs used Memela as secret weapon in derby

LUVUYO Memela was kept on the bench as a tactical secret weapon‚ Orlando Pirates coach Milutin Sredojevic has said after the forward came on and scored a brace in the Buccaneers’ 3-1 Soweto derby win against Kaizer Chiefs on Saturday.

Sredojevic said it had not been an easy decision to hold Memela‚ Pirates’ star performer in attack this season‚ back in a victory at the FNB Stadium in Johannesburg that saw Bucs keep in touch with Absa Premiership leaders Mamelodi Sundowns.

Pirates are four points behind with seven games to go.

Sredojevic admitted Chiefs had edged the first half. “I give credit to his [Chiefs coach Steve Komphela’s] team. They are a very well-coached‚ good team.

“However‚ as he has mentioned‚ in matches of this magnitude it’s impossible to dominate from the first to the last minute.

“You have a situation where the game comes in waves. Chiefs had their wave in the first half. We scored against the run of play‚ they did from a set piece.

“We have seen where we are leaking and lacking. With [Chiefs wingback] Joseph Molangoane coming in and [right centreback] Ramahlwe Mphahlele overlapping they overpowered us in the middle.

“With the introduction of [Memela], there is no bigger pride than what he can have in himself. It was not easy to put him on the bench. He has been one of our top three performers since January.

“He has shown that he is a top-class player. With the first touch of the ball he finished.

“And we can take extreme pride that against the best defensive team in the league we really challenged ourselves and to score three goals against them is an achievement.”

Chiefs conceded a 21st-minute goal from a Willard Katsande defensive error‚ then equalised from Leonard Castro’s header from a free kick to edge play in the first half.

Memela’s introduction‚ scoring from his first touch in the 46th‚ then again in the 74th‚ along with some tactical changes‚ saw Pirates own the second half.