Orlando Pirates coach Eric Tinkler was very pleased about the performance of his defensive line in their 2-0 victory over Club Sportif Sfaxien in their Group B clash at the Orlando Stadium in Johannesburg on Saturday night.
The win puts the Buccaneers within touching distance of the semi-finals, as they look set to progress from Group B alongside Zamalek if the Egyptians avoid defeat against AC Leopards on Sunday away in Dolisie.
A Thabo Rakhale goal in the first half and Menzi Masuku’s strike in the second half produced a solid home win and the three points, but the element that impressed Tinkler the most was the performance of his defenders, who registered another clean sheet.
The win puts the Buccaneers within touching distance of the semi-finals, as they look set to progress from Group B alongside Zamalek if the Egyptians avoid defeat against AC Leopards on Sunday away in Dolisie.
A Thabo Rakhale goal in the first half and Menzi Masuku’s strike in the second half produced a solid home win and the three points, but the element that impressed Tinkler the most was the performance of his defenders, who registered another clean sheet.
Speaking to the media following his side’s win at the Orlando Stadium, he said, “Fantastic win, I think we've seen that Sfaxien are a very good team going forward. They are always a threat in attack, and we had to be extremely resolute.”
Considering the way in which his players were able to contain their Tunisian guests, Tinkler singled certain players out for special praise.
“I thought Issa Sarr was phenomenal tonight, as was Happy Jele and Siyabonga Sangweni. The back four were really solid, and the amount of balls Sarr won today was fantastic,” the tactician explained.
“We caught them on the break, which is exactly what happened when we beat them away. We could have had a couple more [goals] I thought, but I'm just happy to get the result, and hopefully Zamalek can do us a favour,” he added.
The coach mentioned that he was concerned about giving away possession, but was pleased to see that a settled Pirates team did much better.
”Our main problem is giving the ball away, but once we got the ball, we became settled. I'm very, very proud of Orlando Pirates tonight," he concluded.
Sfaxien coach Paulo Duarte had kind words for his South African hosts following the game, speaking at the post match press conference.
“Orlando Pirates is Orlando Pirates. They can be weaker in the local league or lose a game but in Africa they are something else,” said the Portuguese coach.
“The winner of the CAF Confederation Cup will come from Orlando Pirates, Al Ahly or Zamalek. Those are the best teams in Africa in my view. They are a big team here. Outside (of South Africa) they are a very big and competitive team,” he said.
“We came here with little expectation to win the match, it was never going to be easy to play against Pirates at home because as they showed us in Tunisia, that they would be an even tougher proposition in front of their home fans,” the coach added.
Considering the way in which his players were able to contain their Tunisian guests, Tinkler singled certain players out for special praise.
“I thought Issa Sarr was phenomenal tonight, as was Happy Jele and Siyabonga Sangweni. The back four were really solid, and the amount of balls Sarr won today was fantastic,” the tactician explained.
“We caught them on the break, which is exactly what happened when we beat them away. We could have had a couple more [goals] I thought, but I'm just happy to get the result, and hopefully Zamalek can do us a favour,” he added.
The coach mentioned that he was concerned about giving away possession, but was pleased to see that a settled Pirates team did much better.
”Our main problem is giving the ball away, but once we got the ball, we became settled. I'm very, very proud of Orlando Pirates tonight," he concluded.
Sfaxien coach Paulo Duarte had kind words for his South African hosts following the game, speaking at the post match press conference.
“Orlando Pirates is Orlando Pirates. They can be weaker in the local league or lose a game but in Africa they are something else,” said the Portuguese coach.
“The winner of the CAF Confederation Cup will come from Orlando Pirates, Al Ahly or Zamalek. Those are the best teams in Africa in my view. They are a big team here. Outside (of South Africa) they are a very big and competitive team,” he said.
“We came here with little expectation to win the match, it was never going to be easy to play against Pirates at home because as they showed us in Tunisia, that they would be an even tougher proposition in front of their home fans,” the coach added.
By: Cafonline.com
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