Bucs show improved balance
Orlando Pirates coach Rulani Mokwena was more pleased at a clean sheet‚ and seemingly improved balance in his team‚ than disappointed by a string of missed chances as Bucs beat Stellenbosch FC 1-0 to reach the Telkom Knockout quarterfinals on Saturday night.
Pirates had come into the last 16 game having scored nine goals in three games‚ but only won one of those‚ losing one and drawing another‚ due to conceding seven in the other direction.
Mokwena perhaps did struggle for balance in his approach to implement his own philosophy early on, and to find the right team selections to match his game plan
Mokwena‚ just 32‚ has faced question marks as Pirates have struggled for results.
It seems unfair on the extraordinarily young coach‚ given the bombshell manner of head coach Milutin Sredovic’s departure to join Egyptian giants, Zamalek, just three matches into the 2018/2019 season.
Mokwena perhaps did struggle for balance in his approach to implement his own philosophy early on, and to find the right team selections to match his game plan.
Newly promoted Stellenbosch, up for a resilient fight on Saturday‚ but not overly committed even to a counterattack, might have been ideal opponents to showcase a better balance in Pirates.
Really‚ though‚ on balance of opportunities Bucs could have run out with a four- or five-goal margin‚ and Mokwena did have reason to be pleased at what seemed a better balance‚ a result he said‚ of work done by Pirates in the Fifa international window.
The coach seemed to make a fair assessment that, if Bucs continued to play similar football‚ opponents in future would concede more than Stellenbosch’s somewhat fortunate single goal.
“I’m one person‚ I try to live on positives,” Mokwena said.
“[I prefer to look at] the fact that we kept the balance and we kept our offensive skills. “I think that’s the positive. “As much as we created many chances‚ we still maintained a very good stability, very good defence — and kept a clean sheet.
“And I think those were the positives.
“These are the building blocks and I think the Fifa break afforded us time to work on our defensive scheme and our organisation when we have possession, and try to maintain compactness so that we’re not vulnerable on transitions.
Pirates’ winning goal was scored by Thembinkosi Lorch in the 84th minute‚ the Bafana Bafana star and 2018/2019 PSL player of the season made an apparent return to form, with a performance that saw him peppering the Stellenbosch goal with shots.