Former Orlando Pirates midfielder Joseph Makhanya has urged his former team to focus on their upcoming Premier Soccer League (PSL) matches and forget about the loss to Kaizer Chiefs.
The Buccaneers legend still believes the league race is far from over as coach Ernst Middendorp’s men can still lose some of their matches which would allow the chasing pack to catch up.
Moreover, the Soweto-born legend is confident coach Josef Zinnbauer can bounce back after suffering from his first loss in the South African top-flight.
“I think the guys played very well, the spirit is there and they showed hunger in the game. Well, it’s a loss but we can’t fault them,” Makhanya told Goal.
“Honestly, I don’t think they will be demotivated when heading to the next match. I think we just need to encourage them to keep fighting. I think a lot can still happen in the league because they have eight matches to finish the season.
“The only thing they must do is to focus on their games and ensure they collect as many as they can. Losing to Chiefs doesn’t guarantee them the title. This is a marathon.
“The league will be won once there’s no team that can challenge Chiefs based on the points, but for now, anything is possible. Orlando Pirates is still in the race.
“There’s this hype that Chiefs have won the league but we need to be realistic, they have to face Bidvest Wits, Mamelodi Sundowns and they and still drop the points against Amazulu. AmaZulu can disturb them because the points difference is not really huge when you look at the top. It can go either way.”
On coach Zinnbauer, ‘Dulu Duku’ is confident the 49-year-old boss will be able to bounce back from the loss as he looks to lead the Soweto giants to a decent finish come end of the season.
“I can give him the credit but we also need to remember the likes of Micho (Milutin Sredojevic) and Rhulani [Mokwena], they did well for the club and we cannot forget the foundation they laid at the club,” he added.
“Football is a process and Zinnbauer must know he has a job at Pirates and he must stamp his authority and leave his legacy. He’s a good coach there’s no doubt about that because you can see the guys are enjoying their football.
“There’s unity at Pirates, he loves his players, they are playing for him and the spirit is good because he hugs his players before and after the game. I like that.
"I just hope he continues with doing good things for the club, they must just forget about the loss to Chiefs and soldier on.
“We cannot know what is happening because are not close to what is happening at the club but we can only talk from a distance but I am impressed with what I see. There’s camaraderie in the team and we just hope they can finish the season on a high note.”
Meanwhile, the third-placed Pirates will turn their focus to Golden Arrows, whom they face next weekend away from home.