Siwelele FC coach Lehlohonolo Seema has identified an Orlando Pirates player he feels was quietly pulling the strings against his team when the two sides met in a Betway Premiership match at Orlando Amstel Arena on Saturday.
A 1-1 draw was the result as the visitors from Bloemfontein frustrated the Soweto giants in their own backyard. It was a result that could leave Pirates disadvantaged in the tightly-contested title race against a resurgent Mamelodi Sundowns.
Should Sundowns beat Marumo Gallants on Tuesday, they will open a two-point gap at the top, leaving Pirates as chasers. On Saturday, the Buccaneers had to come back from behind to salvage a point on an afternoon when they were not lethal in front of goal.
However, adding to Pirates’ struggles in the final third was Siwelele goalkeeper Ricardo Goss, who was commanding between the sticks and was deservedly named Man of the Match. But Seema spotted a Sea Robbers player he believes was quietly causing problems for them.
GOSS DAZZLES, BUT SEEMA SINGLES OUT A PIRATES ‘MONSTER’
To Seema, Pirates goalkeeper Sipho Chaine was not just about making saves, but quietly tormenting Siwelele with his involvement in the Buccaneers’ build-ups. Chaine’s spot-on distribution was a huge threat to the visitors, and some attention had to be channelled to the Bafana Bafana goal-minder to neutralise his threat
“There is a monster that we also had to deal with because he is a silent killer, and that is where we managed to frustrate Orlando Pirates. Sipho Chaine is the silent killer,” said Seema.
“There are areas where we did not want him to pass [the ball]. If he passes there, I can tell you that the team is on song. It’s either a goal kick, a corner kick or a shot at goal. So we managed that very well. And then whenever he played where we wanted him to play, we quickly pressed there.
“I must commend the players; they worked very hard, and the game plan was good. But I think Orlando Pirates are a team that can still go and win this league.
“I don’t think that the draw is bad for them or makes them look like a bad team. We suffered to the end. I played against this team twice and lost, but I can smile that at least we came from Orlando with a point.”
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