Orlando Pirates have worked extensively on their mental aspect of what seemed a frailty just before the Fifa break of consolidating a first-half lead‚ coach Milutin Sredojevic has said.

Bucs’ coach said he hoped to see the positive results of that – should Pirates repeat their pattern from before the Fifa date‚ and take the lead again – in Saturday night’s Telkom Knockout last-16 match against Chippa United at Orlando Stadium (kickoff 8.15pm).

“Yes‚ it is true and we cannot sweep the dust under carpet‚” Sredojevic said.

“We have removed the carpet‚ we have tried to sweep the dust away. We have used so many things in regards to that aspect so that our focus and concentration is at an equal level from start to end.”

“Therefore we shall see what the football ahead of us will bring.

“But I would say that we believe that it was not a fitness aspect‚ but it was more a mental aspect on how to sustain it once you have put credit in the first half. How to sustain it to the end of the match.

“This was the homework we have done in this Fifa break.

“The football will tells us whether we’ve done enough‚ and the match on Saturday will answer us.”

Sredojevic metaphorically seemed to show signs of greying on the touchline as Pirates took the lead in three of their four matches before the break‚ then conceded in the second half.

The trend was started by Cape Town City’s Ayanda Patosi‚ whose second-half brace at Orlando earned his team a 2-2 draw.

Pirates had a 2-0 first-half lead again away against Baroka FC‚ conceding to Onkabetse Makgantai in the 79th minute for a nervy final 10 minutes.

Bucs then drew 0-0 at home against Lamontville Golden Arrows‚ again dominating the first half‚ with the Durban team coming back strong in the second.

They took a lead through Augustine Mulenga in the 14th against AmaZulu at King Zwelithini Stadium‚ only for Emiliano Tade’s 49th-minute equaliser earning Usuthu a 1-1 draw.