Orlando Pirates head coach Josef Zinnbauer took a swipe at Gavin Hunt’s setup in the Soweto derby.
After defeating Chiefs on three occasions already this season, the Bucs fell to a 1-0 loss against all odds. Much was expected of Pirates going into the game, given their impressive form in the build up to the match.
In football, it’s common to expect that home teams go out on the attacking foot while the away side takes a more conservative approach.
Rather than hit out at his side’s inefficiency in the final third, Zinnbauer instead took a dig at Kazier Chiefs’ boss Gavin Hunt for their overall approach to the game.
“We saw in the first-half we don’t have enough power in the final third, it’s possible the game gives us the information, it’s possible they stay very deep most of the time with a low block,” Zinnbauer told SuperSport after the game.
“And this was the reason we wanted a little bit of offense, ‘Figo’ [Linda Mntambo] and Ntsiki [Ntsikelelo Nyauza] were not bad in the game but we needed more… Dlamini you always find in the small space, solution, Ndlovu played very well in the last game as a full-back. This was the reason, not that ‘Ntsiki’ or Linda was bad, this was only for tactical aspects.
“We won before three games against Kaizer Chiefs, the supporters were happy, this is football if you don’t have the right performance in the right day and you don’t have the luck…
“I don’t know they had chances yes but it’s not normal you play a counter-attack play at home, for me sorry, it’s not possible for me. As a coach, a home game and I play a deep block.
“But the system gives Kaizer Chiefs the right, they won the game, we lost the game. The last three games [were] right today we lost but this is football. You have to win, we say it before, the target is three points for the supporters, a big chance you jump into second place, this is the next point [step] and 100 derbies, this is 100 percent what the players want but it was not our day today” he added.
Pirates will now attempt to start another unbeaten run, with the international break just around the corner. After international action, the Bucs will turn their attention to the continental front when they take on Libyan outfit Al Ahly Benghazi in the CAF Champions League.