Kaizer Chiefs faced Orlando Pirates at the wrong time! Amakhosi defended after huge Soweto derby loss

Orlando Pirates claimed the bragging rights of the first Premier Soccer League Soweto Derby this season.

The traditional encounter came at a very crucial moment for both giants, and each needed to win in order to boost their morale after initial losses.

Eventually, it was Pirates that came from the showdown smiling after a 3-0 victory at the FNB Stadium on Saturday. Outclassed and overpowered, Chiefs left the pitch disappointed. 

However, former Bucs star Benson Mhlongo has said Amakhosi should not be blamed because he believes the derby came at the wrong time for them.

"You could tell from their eagerness that the Pirates players were competing for a spot in the Bafana team that will be announced soon. They have been performing well this season," Mhlongo told KickOff.

"The path to the title will not be easy for Pirates; no team has ever won every game to secure the league. Some losses and draws are inevitable.

They are currently in exceptional form. Unfortunately, Chiefs faced Pirates at the wrong time. They are a well-organised team. To be honest, it is now up to Pirates to win the league," he added.

"I am aware they lost to [Mamelodi] Sundowns last week, but prior to Sundowns scoring those two goals, Pirates had missed several scoring opportunities. Therefore, this league is very much within Pirates' reach."

After masterminding the crucial victory, Pirates coach Abdeslam Ouaddou explained the behind-the-scenes ways used to prepare the players for the win.

“We made a lot of WhatsApp this week, showing the positive videos and all the great goals that they scored and games that they achieved, including under Jose Riveiro and previous coaches," the Moroccan argued.

“We tried to create a narrative and story to make this event easier mentally. It was a workshop for us because you can see on the bench that the technical staff was very calm – I think that was the first game that happened," he continued.

After the derby loss, Chiefs co-coaches Cedric Kaze and Khalil Ben Youssef are certainly under pressure. But are they worried?

Kaze said their fate is up to the club's hierarchy, although he believes they have the trust of the Chiefs bosses to continue performing their duties.

"It’s not up to me, but I believe that we’re here because we’re trusted by management. It’s true that we’ve been in a series of bad results, but I believe there are things that have worked in the past few months," Kaze explained.

"We need to remind ourselves and our players what has worked in the first half of the league and probably come back to the basics of football – how well we defended, if we don’t score, don’t concede, things like that; it’s the only way to go forward."

To redeem themselves, the Glamour Boys must beat Richards Bay during the Tuesday encounter.