A former Orlando Pirates defender believes that Orlando Pirates can overcome Mamelodi Sundowns in their do-or-die semi-final and reach the final of the MTN8 for yet another season.
The Buccaneers managed to surprise the local football community by showing little respect for the favoured Sundowns in Saturday's match at Orlando Stadium.
The game concluded in a 1-1 draw, with the second leg scheduled to take place at Lucas Moripe Stadium this weekend.
"There was a lot of pressure going into the weekend game, especially since the boys didn't perform well in their last two league matches. You could see the relief on the faces of the Pirates fans after the final whistle on Saturday," says Tonic Chabalala.
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"The Pirates fans should remain calm and give the coach confidence. In my opinion, those two league losses were a blessing in disguise. Jose Riveiro left the team in good shape, and now people expect Abdeslam Ouaddou to replicate his success immediately. However, even Riveiro faced challenges when he first joined Pirates, to the point where some people began to criticize him.
"Riveiro's success was a process that took time, it didn’t happen overnight. There is potential in this new coach, but we need to be patient. On Saturday, the Pirates players played not just for the team but also for the badge," he added.
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"We should give the coach and the team a minimum of 10 games before passing judgment. Coaching Pirates is not an easy task—it's demanding. I believe the past two weeks have been quite challenging for him.
"He needs more time to refine the team. My advice to him is to foster competition within the squad, players who perform well in training should be given the chance to start."
