Bucs’ win over Chiefs sends powerful message about intentions to defend league

The relentless and ruthless Orlando Pirates machine is swaggering like a runaway truck with faulty brakes.

It is now seven league wins in succession for the Buccaneers and their coach, Abdeslam Ouaddou, and the question is, who is going to stop them and how?

His notes in the club’s match-day programme: Ouaddou demanded his players show commitment and turn possibilities into results, and they responded.

The Buccaneers have issued a powerful message about their intentions to defend the league, and this win also put pressure on Mamelodi Sundowns.

Pirates improved significantly in the second half, but even the most ardent Pirates supporter will agree they were not at their best from the start of the game.

But they did the job in this exciting Soweto derby match that was attended by French and Arsenal legend Thierry Henry, who was introduced before the start of the match.

Important victory

Henry was treated to end-to-end football, and there was a bonus in the form of an overzealous fan who ran onto the pitch in the closing stages as Pirates closed in on this important victory against the archrivals.

Bucs could have won this match by a bigger margin but wasted numerous chances during their dominant spells after the break, where they lacked the killer instinct that Ouaddou wanted to see and spoke about in the build-up to this 186th Soweto derby.

Pirates have completely dominated teams this season, but it was always going to be difficult against Chiefs, who usually rise to the occasion in the derby, even though they failed to win over the last seven meetings in the league.

The Buccaneers have momentum, and their youthful players are gaining valuable experience, but their depth is going to be tested in the coming months as they will be involved in the Caf Champions League, Carling Knockout Cup, Nedbank Cup and the defence of their league title.

For Chiefs, they are unravelling, and coach Fernando da Cruz will have to find a way of getting some consistency because they are falling behind AmaZulu and Milford FC on the log.

Chiefs, who have a mission to at least finish third and return to the Confederation Cup, started the match on the ascendency, but they failed to build from their good start. They allowed Pirates to score first and increased their lead after they had equalised.

Trust in emerging talent

Going into the match, there was interest as to how both coaches are going to set up their squads. Ouaddou went with a mixture of experience and consistency and also showed trust in his emerging talent.

On the other hand, Da Cruz picked a team brimming with experience as he made clear his intentions of winning this 186th edition of the Soweto derby, but it was not to be.

Amakhosi had failed to beat Pirates in their last six league matches, with Bucs dominating with five wins and one draw, and Da Cruz’s strong line-up showed that he wants them to stop the bleeding.

Ouaddou started with the experience of Sipho Chaine, Nkosinathi Sibisi, Deon Hotto, Thalente Mbatha, Tshepang Moremi and Yanela Mbuthum,a and also rewarded the good form of emerging players like Lebone Seema, Nkosikhona Ndaba, Sipmphiwe Selepe, Simphiwe Masilela and Thapelo Mokobodi.

He was forced to improvise in his line-up by putting defender Hotto at right back because of the unavailability of Kamogelo Sebelebele and Bulelani Sigomoshe, but the veteran did not offer much going forward, as he had to contend with former Pirates teammate Paseka Mako.

Pirates lacked proper balance, and Ouaddou brought in Gamphani Lungu for Ndaba at the beginning of the second half, with Hotto moving to his usual position at left back, and his contributions in the match improved.

Strong line-up

Da Cruz had injury issues of his own, but he was able to field a strong line-up that had proven campaigners like keeper Brandon Petersen, Thabo Moloisane, Ignacio Miguel, Reeve Frosler, Paseka Mako, Lebohang Maboe, Sibongiseni Mthethwa, Pule Mmodi and exciting attackers in Mfundo Vilakazi, Mduduzi Shabalala and Wandile Duba.

Duba went with confidence sky-high after he scored a hat-trick against TS Galaxy in the Carling Knockout Cup during the week, but it was Vilakazi who was in inspired form, giving Frosler problems in their mini battle.

The 186th derby got off to a flying start with both teams going at each other, and referee Luxolo Badi was called into action after eight minutes when he cautioned Frosler as he got frustrated after he lost out to Moremi.

Chiefs created the most chances but Duba and Mmodi could not find the target, which would have given them confidence.

The first chance came inside five minutes when on-form Duba was released by Shabalala with a defence splitting pass but he was denied by an alert Chaine.

There was a moment of controversy after 23 minutes when Badi waved play on after Mbuthuma went down in the box under pressure from a Chiefs defender.

But the Pirates striker dusted himself off, and moments later he was in the Chiefs penalty box, and this time there was no one who could stop him. He riffled the ball goalwards and it rebounded from the body of Chiefs defender Moloisane on its way into the empty net.

Amakhosi did not let the goal affect them, as they continued pushing forward, and they benefited from a schoolboy error from Chaine, who forgot the basics of goalkeeping, as he allowed the ball to spill on the path of Mmodi, who pounced from close range.

Pirates pulled away in the second half when they turned the ball in the midfield and launched a quick attack that saw Mokobodi unselfishly lay on the path of Moremi, who is having a good run in all competitions.