Buccaneers are hitting all the right notes
MANDLA Ncikazi and Sergio Almenera have their work cut out for them as they will have to guide Orlando Pirates in the Soweto Derby without coach Jose Riveiro.
The Buccaneers took a huge step in their bid to qualify for the CAF Champions League next season as they beat Maritzburg United 2-1 at home in the Premiership on Friday night.
Pirates’ win was propelled by Man of the Match Monnapule Saleng, who scored the first goal before setting up Terrence Dzvukamanja for the second.
Tumelo Njoti scored the consolation for the visitors.
With the match having gone according to script, credit went to Almenara and Ncikazi, who directed the show without master Riveiro, who watched from the stands as he served the first of his two-match ban.
Riveiro put full trust in his two assistants on the day as his involvement was only during halftime and in preparing the team during the week at training.
Come Saturday afternoon, Almenara and Ncikazi will have to lead Pirates again when they face arch rivals Kaizer Chiefs at FNB Stadium in the biggest match on the local sporting calendar.
“Nowadays, (suspended) coaches normally do not have too much impact during the game. The only impact that they can provide is usually during the week at training,” said a nervous Almenara.
“So, during the game, we try to impact as much as we can. Halftime is key. (On Friday against Maritzburg), we used the technology that we connected with him on.”
Almenara said they were not thinking beyond the match on Friday, though, despite the upcoming Soweto Derby.
“We tried to make sure that doesn’t affect us at all,” Almenara said.
“But we can’t be in the minds of every player in our squad. But we obviously try to focus on the opponent that we have before us.
“We cannot do some of the things, but what we can control is the message and all content that we are providing during the week. So, there was nothing related to Kaizer (Chiefs).”
Saleng might have been Pirates’ hero this season, but Dzvukamanja has been crucial in their progress as he's finding his feet again at the club, after being rumoured to be on his way out in January due to limited game-time.
Dzvukamanja has made three goal contributions in seven games across all competitions for Pirates this season.
“It’s an ongoing process. The players also try to progress with their own game-model and try to improve during our training sessions. But we are looking at progressions during the season,” Almenara said.
“Even during the last game of the season, it is going to be the progression of all the games that we’ve been playing this season.
“So we are using the games that we’ve been playing to gauge our readiness.
“So if there are players that are coming and staying more in the starting line-up, it’s because they are giving us what we are looking for in the game model, especially with their own profiling.”