Bucs keeping Makusu on ice
CONGOLESE STRIKER STILL NEEDS TO ADAPT
In Orlando Pirates’ last two games, Jean-Marc Makusu has been the only available striker in the Buccaneers squad, yet he hasn’t been able to make it into the Pirates’ line-up.
Pirates coach Josef Zinnbauer has opted to play winger Thembinkosi Lorch up-front, with the German stating that Lorch has been doing well for the club playing as a leading attacker.
With Makusu the only striker available for selection while Gabadinho Mhango, Zakhele Lepasa, Terrence Dzukamanja and Tsheogatso Mabasa are nursing injuries, one would have expected to see the Congolese player breaking into the line-up.
But Zinnbauer says the reason Makusu is not playing yet has to do with the player still working on adjusting to the system at the club, and that they would keep building up his minutes in games until he got used to the way that Pirates play.
“We had a good performance with Lorch in the last game, he also had chances to score. And Jean-Marc hasn’t been here for a long time. He has been working on conditioning, on the system and it’s not easy for him to come in. But he will get more time, we have to improve him,” said the Pirates mentor.
“It’s important for us to give him minutes. I don’t know what’s going to happen in the next game, we have to see what happens with other players (returning from injuries).”
The Bucs coach added that once his strikers had recovered from their injuries, they might resort to playing with two strikers.
“It’s important for us to get the right system and like I said, we’ve had top opportunities to score, maybe in the next games (we will use the goal scoring opportunities). I want my strikers on the field and they have to score.”
Makusu was signed last year from AS Vita and the 28-year-old striker has a lot of experience in Algeria, Belgium and Egypt.
But Makusu will have to bide his time at the Buccaneers, though, but who knows, he might yet make the squad when Pirates take on Kaizer Chiefs in tomorrow’s Soweto derby.