Sekhukhune United coach Papi Zothwane.

Image: Itumeleng English/Independent Newspapers

Sekhukhune United head coach Papi Zothwane believes Orlando Pirates’ attacking quality makes them a difficult opponent to contain, but insists his players must learn to trust their own abilities when facing the Buccaneers.

Babina Noko have endured a frustrating run against Pirates this season, losing all four encounters without scoring a single goal while conceding seven in the process.

Speaking at the post-match press conference, Zothwane acknowledged the quality within the Pirates squad, explaining that opponents have to be tactically disciplined when facing a team with such attacking threats.

“I think Pirates have a lot of quality players and as a coach it’s always difficult to challenge them pound for pound. You have to play them acknowledging their strengths because offensively they’re a threat,” he explained.

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The Sekhukhune coach warned against adopting an overly aggressive approach against the Soweto giants, particularly when pressing high up the pitch.

“You can’t be naive and play Pirates with a high press because you’re gonna leave spaces and get exposed,” he said.

However, Zothwane believes the psychological battle is just as important as the tactical one, suggesting that his players sometimes give Pirates too much respect at the expense of their own game plan.

“But I still say, it all depends on our players, do they respect Pirates’ players more than themselves because if you’re playing Pirates you have to think about your team and your plans instead of their threat,” he added.

He also admitted that anxiety can become a factor when facing the Buccaneers, particularly given Sekhukhune’s struggles to get a positive result at Orlando.

“Sometimes the anxiety takes over but I believe we have a team capable of beating Pirates, it’s just unfortunate that when we come here (Orlando), it’s difficult to win,” Zothwane concluded.

The latest defeat extends Sekhukhune’s difficult run against Pirates, with Zothwane now tasked with finding a way to overcome the psychological and tactical hurdles that have repeatedly stood between his side and a positive result.