'Don't be fooled by win over Downs'

They may have impressively won a big semifinal match last weekend, but Edward Motale has cautioned Orlando Pirates are still far off the required standard to be considered a major menace to PSL competitors.

Pirates drew plaudits for their 3-0 destruction of Mamelodi Sundowns in the MTN8 semifinal second leg last week, and they head into tomorrow’s Soweto Derby against Kaizer Chiefs as overwhelming favourites to end a three-match losing streak against their rivals.

But Motale, who captained Pirates to their 1995 CAF Champions League victory, reckons Jose Riveiro’s regime is still floundering. “He (Riveiro) is still trying to find his footing – don’t be misled by the win over Sundowns,” he said.

“Remember he came in when pre-season had already started. He’s working on combinations. Some he’s getting right, like (Monnapule) Saleng and (Kermit) Erasmus up front; Olisah Ndah and Nkosinathi Sibisi at the back. It takes time to get the team right and although Pirates are on track, they are not there yet.”

Motale highlighted Pirates going four matches without a win before beating Golden Arrows and Sundowns in a space of four days as an example of a regime still looking for a balance.

“We haven’t been too convincing. There was a time we played eight matches with just two victories, and we were struggling to score. In the last two games, we’ve looked the real deal.”

The Soweto Derby is a different beast, according to Motale, and Pirates cannot expect to saunter into FNB Stadium tomorrow and take three points.

“It’s a different ball game. You cannot underestimate Chiefs because they didn’t win their last match. They can go in there having lost four in a row and still win – that’s the nature of the derby; form counts for nothing. This is a match which distinguishes players. We used to tell who was Pirates material, who was not. You could see some players were just not meant for such big occasions – they became intimidated and in some instances, the derby would define their careers at Pirates. Some wouldn’t even return to the lineup because it was clear they couldn’t handle a big club.”

Pirates will be without midfielder Miguel Timm because of suspension and Motale believes it’s a big blow.

“He has been the main link in the team. You need someone to play his role of anchoring the team and linking up with Erasmus and Saleng. It’s a challenge for the coach on who bring in. I would go with Thabang Monare.”