Zinnbauer admits Orlando Pirates were not good enough after TS Galaxy loss

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The German tactician described their clash with Baroka as special after the Buccaneers dropped points in Mpumalanga

Orlando Pirates head coach Josef Zinnbauer says his charges' performance was not good enough to claim a win over a "motivated" TS Galaxy side on Sunday.

The Buccaneers saw their three-match unbeaten run in the PSL come to an end when they succumbed to a 1-0 defeat to the Rockets at Mbombela Stadium, with Masilake Phohlongo grabbing an early goal for the hosts.

Zinnbauer felt that Pirates had a poor start to the match, which saw them being reduced to 10 players after Abel Mabaso was sent off, but the hosts also went a man down after Given Msimango was red-carded.

"Yes we were first 15, 20 minutes not in the game, you know when Pirates comes most opponents are motivated against us," Zinnbauer told SuperSport TV.

"To win the duels, to win the game and if you're not in the game then you have no chance you can win, especially when you concede [early] and it's very hard. And the red card is coming, ok the opponent also got a red-card

"But in the second-half we had chances for the equaliser, we had it but if you don't score it's not possible you can win a game or get a draw. It was not enough today, the performance was not enough to get the three points."

Key attackers Thembinkosi Lorch and Deon Hotto were surprisingly left out of the starting line-up and Zinnbauer indicated that the duo was not fit enough to start the match.

"The problem is that you have the players ready and if have the feeling or you get the information that the player, the muscle is tight or the conditioning is not enough for 90 minutes then it's better you bring fresh players," he continued.

"We have a good squad, we can change the squad but it's always before the game or after the game you have more information but Hotto is always on the highest level, Lorch was not possible from the start, it was clear. But we need him, that was the reason for the substitute.

"But overall it was not enough, ten, 20 minutes in the first-half, it's not enough you can win the game. You were not in a structure, you were not forward passing, it was always a reaction and it was not enough for a win."

The defeat left Pirates placed fourth on the league standings - level on points with third-placed Lamontville Golden Arrows and four points behind second-placed AmaZulu FC as the race to finish in the top three continues with two games left.

"Yes, the second-half yes but it's not easy during the game you get the goal, you get the chance for the equaliser but [if] you can't score, you can't win a game," he added.

"We need the three points, I know the players know what has happened, they know after this 90 minutes what's happening [regarding the Caf spots on the log].

"We have to focus, analyse this game quick and then we need the head up, we play against Baroka, it's also a special game, we need the points if you want one of these places in the table, we need three points for this."

Pirates will play host to Baroka FC on Wednesday before they wrapped up their league campaign with a clash against Tshakhuma Tsha Madzivhandila in Polokwane on June 5.

2021-05-30 23:00:05

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