Richards Bay FC co-coach Papi Zothwane has detailed the tactical approach his side applied to breach Orlando Pirates’ defensive wall and beat Sipho Chaine in goal.
The Natal Rich Boyz played out to a 2-2 draw with Buccaneers in their Betway Premiership encounter at the uMhlathuze Sports Complex on Friday night.
Richards Bay took an early lead through Thulani Gumede in the 10th minute, but Pirates responded in the 52nd minute through Oswin Appollis. While Lindokhuhle Zikhali restored the home side’s lead just seven minutes later, a stoppage-time strike from Lebone Seema ensured the points were shared in KZN.
Richards Bay have become only the second team in the Betway Premiership to put more than one goal past Pirates this season. The last side to achieve this feat was Mamelodi Sundowns, who secured a 2-1 victory over the Sea Robbers on 18 February at FNB Stadium.
Heading into the clash, Chaine had been in formidable form, boasting 16 clean sheets in 24 league appearances.
Chaine currently leads the Betway Premiership in clean sheets [16], followed by Durban City’s Darren Keet with 12 and Brandon Petersen of Kaizer Chiefs in third place with 11.
Overall, the Bafana Bafana international, Chaine, has kept 25 clean sheets and conceded 14 goals in 36 games across all competitions.
PAPI ZOTHWANE ON WHAT WORKED FOR HIS SIDE AGAINST SIPHO CHAINE BETWEEN THE STICKS
Zothwane revealed that the technical team identified a lack of direct testing as a potential weakness to exploit.
“We knew that Pirates is a team that is consistent, and there were many things we needed to take into account,” Zothwane told the media.
“Well, it’s not often that Chaine gets shots. That’s one thing we have always emphasised to our players: we must take shots from any angle. So, that’s what we did, and we scored goals.
“It’s not something that we preach but something that we practice, and it worked. It’s not easy to score two goals against Pirates. It really worked for us because we practiced it.”
PAPI ZOTHWANE ON RICHARDS BAY BEAUTIFUL GOALS
Zothwane expressed his pride in Thulani Gumede, whose long-range opener set the tone for the night against Pirates. The coach noted that while Gumede possesses the technical ability, he often hesitates to shoot—a habit they worked hard to break in training.
“We feel proud and very good as a coach when Thulani [Gumede] has been taking shots for the longest time. In a big game like this, he takes a shot and scores; he has good technique, but he hardly shoots,” Zothwane added.
“The first time he took a shot, he scored against Kaizer Chiefs. But I think this one was a super goal. You feel good as a coach when you practice something and it comes out beautifully in the game because, before the match, when we were doing finishing, he scored beautiful goals.”
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