BUCS IN WITH CHANCE IN TUNIS
De Sa optimistic after draw with Esperance
IT’S an open tie and there are 90 minutes left to play, Orlando Pirates coach Roger de Sa said, keeping a positive perspective despite his side’s 0-0 draw against Tunisia’s Esperance in the first leg of their Caf Champions League semifinal at Orlando Stadium on Saturday.
De Sa admitted he rued his side’s missed chances against the classy Tunisian club, who absorbed pressure and could have scored themselves on a few occasions on the counterattack.
But the coach said he was pleased not to have conceded at home, which would have made the away leg in Tunis on October 19 even more difficult. “I’m happy with the performance against a team like Esperance,” De Sa said. “But with the chances we had, I’d like to have put them away. I was very upset at half-time that we’d had a few chances but their goalkeeper did not have to make a save.
“The performance wasn’t bad. I’m not happy with the result but at least we’ve got some result to take with us, and we’ve got a chance.
“Right now Esperance have got to score. So it’s not entirely over – 0-0 is not a bad result. We didn’t concede and it’s a lot better than 1-1 or 2-2. It’s an open game now, and 90 minutes to play.”
Pirates edged a hard-fought first leg. But the Buccaneers will be disappointed a header across goal by Myeni, some missed chances from Bacela, and a shot from range from Thabo Matlaba that forced a diving save from goalkeeper Moez Ben Cherifia, could not result in a crucial goal.
“Esperance were going to get chances, because we were trying to press the game,” De Sa said. “They played on the counter-attack, which they’re very good at.
“But Senzo Meyiwa made a save in the first 10 minutes and after that didn’t really have to again. We were happy with that. I just think that, at this level, the half-chances we get we have to put away.
“You couldn’t ask a lot more from the players. We’ve just come out of a cup final, played two games against Kaizer Chiefs, played Al Ahly and Zamalek. It’s been hectic, and to have this type of effort against one of the top four teams in Africa – I can’t ask for more.”
During the week captain Lucky Lekgwathi wrote a scathing column in the Daily Sun for having been excluded from the squad for the MTN8 final – which Bucs lost to Platinum Stars. The centre-back was not on the bench again on Saturday. De Sa said this was merely rotation. “We play on Tuesday against Mpumalanga Black Aces. We’re going to need Lucky then.”