Phali urges Jose to stick with keeper Mpontshane
'Ofori must wait for him to lose form or get injured'
Image: Muzi Ntombela/BackpagePix
Former Orlando Pirates goalkeeper Avril Phali has urged coach Jose Riveiro to stick with Siyabonga Mpontshane in goal when they face Kaizer Chiefs in the Soweto derby at FNB Stadium tomorrow afternoon. .
Mpontshane has stepped in and deputised excellently in the absence of regular Pirates number one Richard Ofori, who was injured in the Buccaneers' 1-1 draw with AmaZulu.
Earlier this week, Ofori declared himself available for selection. Mpontshane impressed when he made a rare start in the Pirates' 2-0 win over Golden Arrows and 3-0 victory over Mamelodi Sundowns in the last two matches.
“You can’t fix something which is not broken. Things are still going well at the moment. What I can say is let Mpontshane continue playing,” Phali explained to Sowetan yesterday.
“He has not conceded a goal in the last two matches. He has been playing and commanding the area well. Until the car is stuck, that's where you can change,” said Phali.
Phali added that if he were the coach he would not change the player because he had already won them two games.
Should he play against Chiefs tomorrow, it will be his 17th career match against the Glamour Boys.
The shot-stopper has an impressive record, managing eight wins, while suffering six defeats, three of them coming in the last three matches where he was in goal.
Phali feels dropping him will dent his confidence after the two matches he played.
“If you change him while he is not injured his confidence will be dented. Ofori must wait for him to lose form or get injured, that's how football is. Not where you take out someone who has been doing well and kill his confidence. I think it will be an error if the coach decides to drop him,” Phali concluded.