Four things spotted as Orlando Pirates gear for 2022/23 second round
Orlando Pirates kick off the DStv Premiership 2022/23 second round when they welcome Golden Arrows at the Orlando Stadium over the weekend.
Jose Riveiro will have a lot to change as they play the second phase of the current season.
While Orlando Pirates have often displayed a beautiful brand of football, they have struggled to score goals.
The Buccaneers have only managed to score 10 goals in 15 league encounters. Interestingly, none of those goals came in the second half of their games.
Pirates are on a three-game winless run in the league after losing to Kaizer Chiefs, Mamelodi Sundowns and Cape Town City on Saturday night.
With the tricky Arrows fixture ahead, FARPost took a look at Pirates’ training session and here is what we spotted.
Orlando Pirates’ strikers’ trainer hard at work already
With Pirates’ struggles to score goals, Scott Chickelday was brought in as the new strikers’ coach.
During the training session at the Rand Stadium, Chickelday was seen working with Kermit Erasmus and Deon Hotto.
The duo was performing shooting drills under the watchful eye of the English coach, whose speciality is finishing and striking.
Riveiro is upbeat that the new technical team member will improve his frontmen as they look to finish the season strong.
“It’s one more element in the coaching that is also here to try and optimise the talent we have so that we get better figures in every unit,” Riveiro told journalists.
“We are learning to work with a specialist, one more in our squad, and we have people who are specially working in different things in the team unit.
“Scott is going to help us in a specific one. And in the end, when we succeed, that’s going to be the consequence of a lot of things we do together.”
Besides Hotto and Erasmus, Pirates have Eva Nga, Zakhele Lepasa, Evidence Makgopa and Ndumiso Mabena.
Peprah off to Maritzburg
Ghanaian forward Kwame Peprah was not among the players training with the team. The 23-year-old reportedly landed in Pietermaritzburg on Wednesday evening with Maritzburg United as the destination.
He will seek game time under Fadlu Davids, his coach, when he shone for Pirates in his maiden PSL season.
Lorch another absentee
Thembinkosi Lorch was also not at the training ground, with indications that he is still nursing an injury.
Pirates recently said Lorch was due to return at the end of the month. He has been out of action since August 2022, when he was withdrawn during a game against SuperSport United.
Ndah return imminent
Nigerian centre-back Olisa Ndah was seen jogging outside the pitch as his teammates played 11v11. His return looks imminent and would undoubtedly be a big boost for the Soweto giants.
He is yet to feature for Pirates since the resumption of the league after the FIFA World Cup break.
According to the club, his estimated return date is the end of January. The 24-year-old, who has attracted the interest of Serie A side Sassuolo, featured in 16 matches in all competitions this season.
The Super Eagles defender has been instrumental since joining Pirates from Nigerian side Akwa United in 2021.
RELATED STORY: Four injured Orlando Pirates key players, and when they return