The pressure is “somewhere else” Orlando Pirates coach Milutin Sredojevic said after his side stayed in the Absa Premiership title race‚ though by the skin their teeth‚ with Wednesday night’s 4-0 win against Bidvest Wits at Orlando Stadium.
The other place the coach was referring to was with leaders Mamelodi Sundowns.
The Brazilians drew 2-2 against Maritzburg United in Pietermaritzburg‚ and are still odds-on favourites to attain the two points from two games they need for the championship‚ quite conceivably with a win against Ajax Cape Town on Saturday.
But Sredojevic’s statement indicated that Pirates have not given up hope of Downs slipping up in what would be an epic choke by getting no more than a draw from those two remaining games.
That would leave Bucs needing to beat both Cape Town City at Cape Town Stadium on Saturday‚ then Free State Stars at Orlando the following Saturday (May 12)‚ to lift the trophy.
“With the highest degree of respect for the team who are leading [Sundowns]‚ for us‚ we know that our only focus is on the Cape Town City game on Saturday‚” Sredojevic said.
“We shall not talk of anything. We are relaxed. We want to play better than we did today. We want a good a result in Cape Town.
“We are motivated and focused on Saturday’s game. The rest of the things we have no right to talk about because the pressure is somewhere else.”
Pirates will need to overcome something of a mini-hoodoo in Cape Town this season to beat City.
Bucs have lost both their matches at Cape Town Stadium – 3-0 against Ajax in the league and 1-0 against City in the Nedbank Cup.
“In the last 18 years working in Africa I know that I have worked with hyper-sensitive players‚ who‚ if you just plant something in their heads‚ you can just block the legs.
"And things could continue to go [the same way]‚” Sredojevic responded.
“However‚ you are welcome to keep feeding us with these because I remember how the media were feeding Cape Town City having beaten Wits for four matches in the cups and league – and then you know what happened.
“Football is an open game. We shall see what will happen.”
City beat Wits four times in succession in 2017-18‚ then were beaten at home by the Clever Boys‚ 2-1 on February 24.
Sredojevic in last-ditch attempt to deflect pressure away from Pirates
Image: Sydney Mahlangu/BackpagePix20
The pressure is “somewhere else” Orlando Pirates coach Milutin Sredojevic said after his side stayed in the Absa Premiership title race‚ though by the skin their teeth‚ with Wednesday night’s 4-0 win against Bidvest Wits at Orlando Stadium.
The other place the coach was referring to was with leaders Mamelodi Sundowns.
The Brazilians drew 2-2 against Maritzburg United in Pietermaritzburg‚ and are still odds-on favourites to attain the two points from two games they need for the championship‚ quite conceivably with a win against Ajax Cape Town on Saturday.
But Sredojevic’s statement indicated that Pirates have not given up hope of Downs slipping up in what would be an epic choke by getting no more than a draw from those two remaining games.
That would leave Bucs needing to beat both Cape Town City at Cape Town Stadium on Saturday‚ then Free State Stars at Orlando the following Saturday (May 12)‚ to lift the trophy.
“With the highest degree of respect for the team who are leading [Sundowns]‚ for us‚ we know that our only focus is on the Cape Town City game on Saturday‚” Sredojevic said.
“We shall not talk of anything. We are relaxed. We want to play better than we did today. We want a good a result in Cape Town.
“We are motivated and focused on Saturday’s game. The rest of the things we have no right to talk about because the pressure is somewhere else.”
Pirates will need to overcome something of a mini-hoodoo in Cape Town this season to beat City.
Bucs have lost both their matches at Cape Town Stadium – 3-0 against Ajax in the league and 1-0 against City in the Nedbank Cup.
“In the last 18 years working in Africa I know that I have worked with hyper-sensitive players‚ who‚ if you just plant something in their heads‚ you can just block the legs.
"And things could continue to go [the same way]‚” Sredojevic responded.
“However‚ you are welcome to keep feeding us with these because I remember how the media were feeding Cape Town City having beaten Wits for four matches in the cups and league – and then you know what happened.
“Football is an open game. We shall see what will happen.”
City beat Wits four times in succession in 2017-18‚ then were beaten at home by the Clever Boys‚ 2-1 on February 24.
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