WATCH: Orlando Pirates coach Micho Sredojevic on pressure of Soweto Derby

Orlando Pirates coach Milutin Sredojevic says “half of our mind was focused on next Saturday against Kaizer Chiefs” in the cup clash against Black Leopards. Photo: Sydney Mahlangu/BackpagePix

Orlando Pirates coach Milutin Sredojevic says “half of our mind was focused on next Saturday against Kaizer Chiefs” in the cup clash against Black Leopards. Photo: Sydney Mahlangu/BackpagePix

Published Oct 22, 2018

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It’s the biggest game in the country and one of the biggest

on the continent.

Orlando Pirates versus Kaizer Chiefs brings South Africa to a standstill, and most certainly

Soweto, where

the FNB Stadium will be jam-packed for Saturday’s Absa Premiership clash

between the two giants of local football.

Both teams come off victories in the Telkom Knockout at the

weekend, with the Buccaneers having an easier passage to the quarter-finals

after beating Chippa United 1-0 on Saturday night.

Chiefs had to go through extra time and a penalty shoot-out

to see off Black Leopards 4-2 after it ended 1-1 following 120 minutes of

action.

But now it’s all about the big showdown this weekend, and

Pirates coach Milutin ‘Micho’ Sredojevic says his players will know what’s at

stake.

“We need to establish consistency, especially in a club of

this magnitude. You win, normal. You draw, question mark. You lose, revolution…

“So, living under that, we are looking to take all the pressure and stress and

tensions to us as coaches, and let the players unlock their legs and express

themselves,” the Serbian said at the post-match press conference.

Sredojevic was not entirely happy with the performance

Pirates dished out against Chippa, though – Vincent Pule having grabbed the

winner on the hour-mark at Orlando Stadium.

“We don’t want to hide behind the fact that we have been on

the Fifa break, or that half of our mind was focused on next Saturday against

Kaizer Chiefs,” the coach said.

“Everybody knows what the derby means, and to keep a

clean-sheet in the week before is good. But in the same moment, we cannot be

blind to what happened on the field.

“We walked a very tight rope, but I want to give credit to

our players (for winning).

“We managed to score the goal (to win), where usually we are

dropping down in the second half.

“Everything was so tight against a good, organised team in

Chippa United.

“If we do not look critically and keep ourselves blind, and

think everything was perfect, then we can hit the wall in front of 90 000-plus

people next Saturday.

“We have one week, and there is no better motivation than

winning, and still having things to work on.”

@ashfakmohamed

 

IOL Sport