Former Orlando Pirates midfielder Oupa Manyisa has made bold remarks about the Buccaneers’ defence, explaining why their backline has him worried ahead of the crucial clash against Mamelodi Sundowns.
The Soweto giants are preparing to face Mamelodi Sundowns in a Betway Premiership match at Loftus Versfeld on Saturday.
In most games Pirates have played this season, Lebone Seema and Mbekezeli Mbokazi have been the twin centre-backs. Coach Abdeslam Ouaddou has relied more on Thabiso Lebitso and Deon Hotto are the wing-backs on the right and left sides, respectively.
But Manyisa is not fully convinced despite the rave reviews the Buccaneers’ backline has been receiving, especially the steely Mbokazi, who is up for the CAF Young Player of the Year award.
MANYISA EXPRESSES HIS PIRATES DEFENCE WORRY
“I think Pirates will win 2-0, Appollis will score. I’m looking at how they have been playing going forward. My only worry is at the back. I feel they haven’t been tested much,” said Manyisa on The Pitchside Podcast.
“They need a little bit of experience there at the back. Sometimes they get too excited. I even watched their game against Magesi, you are 2-0 up but you still want to rush the ball and run.
“Keep the ball, it’s four minutes left, just keep the ball.”
Manyisa’s remarks come despite Pirates boasting of a recent run of keeping eight straight clean sheets across all competitions. It was a show of solid defence, which made the Buccaneers unbreachable at the back.
FC Saint-Eloi Lupopo broke that record by scoring three goals against Ouaddou’s side in a CAF Champions League second preliminary round, first leg away in Lubumbashi.
It was an afternoon the Moroccan coach had decided to tweak his central defence pairing by bringing in captain Nkosinathi Sibisi to partner Mbokazi while dropping Lebone Seema.
WHO IS PROTECTING PIRATES CENTRAL DEFENDERS?
Former Sundowns and Pirates midfielder Teko Modise feels the Buccaneers’ central defenders are benefiting from Sihle Nduli’s graft in central midfield.
“The two centre-backs that have been doing well for Pirates, Seema and Mbokazi, I think the biggest reason they haven’t been tested is Nduli,” said Modise.
“I think Nduli is one of those players who are so underrated in that team, also a player who has been so important. Back then, we never really appreciated people who played number six.
“Now, we are starting to do so, and Nduli is one player who is the Nduli we know from Stellenbosch. He covers so much ground and allows the superstars to shine going forward.
“That is the person who really protects that centre-back pairing. If Sundowns can break him or shift him from the defensive position that he is in, to the side to be able to penetrate through, we might test those two centre-backs.”
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