Orlando Pirates coach Jozef Zinnbauer has attributed Sunday's Absa Premiership defeat against Cape Town City to a red card received by the Cape side in the first half.
This seems a bit strange given that Pirates should have had an upper hand, having played nearly an hour with an extra man after Mpho Makola, a former Buccaneer, was ejected from the game for two bookable offences 12 minutes before the halftime break.
It was Kermit Erasmus’s single strike in the first-half’s injury time that won the game for City. The defeat extended the Buccaneers’ winless run to six games, piling pressure on Zinnbauer. Pirates last won a league game when they beat Black Leopards via an own goal in February.
Funnily, Zinnbauer feels playing against a reduced side was the main reason they lost the match.
“In the first 15, 20 minutes we had control of the game. [We had one or two] good chances…we do not score and comes the red card that was a break [meaning it was a turning point] for me in the game,’’ said a visibly dispirited Zinnbauer during a virtual post-match media conference.
Makola red card was our undoing, says coach Zinnbauer
Image: Veli Nhlapo
Orlando Pirates coach Jozef Zinnbauer has attributed Sunday's Absa Premiership defeat against Cape Town City to a red card received by the Cape side in the first half.
This seems a bit strange given that Pirates should have had an upper hand, having played nearly an hour with an extra man after Mpho Makola, a former Buccaneer, was ejected from the game for two bookable offences 12 minutes before the halftime break.
It was Kermit Erasmus’s single strike in the first-half’s injury time that won the game for City. The defeat extended the Buccaneers’ winless run to six games, piling pressure on Zinnbauer. Pirates last won a league game when they beat Black Leopards via an own goal in February.
Funnily, Zinnbauer feels playing against a reduced side was the main reason they lost the match.
“In the first 15, 20 minutes we had control of the game. [We had one or two] good chances…we do not score and comes the red card that was a break [meaning it was a turning point] for me in the game,’’ said a visibly dispirited Zinnbauer during a virtual post-match media conference.
Erasmus scores the winner for City as Pirates winless run stretches to five matches
“When you have one player more on the field, you have a problem [because] the opponent plays way stronger defensively. For me, the red card was the point that broke the game. I think the players [Pirates’] thought it was going to be too easy.’’
It was Zinnbauer’s third league defeat since linking-up with Pirates last December. The German has seven wins and five draws in the Absa Premiership. While some Bucs fans have already started to call for his head, Zinnbauer is expected to stay put and being given more time to prove himself, having joined midway through the term.
With their upcoming clash only on Saturday against SuperSport United at Ellis Park Stadium (1.30pm), Bucs have time to rectify their shortfalls. Zinnbauer says they will focus more on polishing their finishing.
Sunday's defeat means Pirates can only finish on a maximum of 52 points if they win their remaining three games, ruling them completely out of the running to claim the Premiership title as rivals Kaizer Chiefs have already accumulated 53.
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