Khune details why Orlando Pirates are better than Kaizer Chiefs

Photo Credit - Orlando Pirates Football Club.

Kaizer Chiefs legend Itumeleng Khune has explained why Orlando Pirates were the better side during their Betway Premiership Soweto derby at FNB Stadium on Saturday.

Pirates managed to secure a league double over their Soweto rivals following a 2-1 comeback win. Amakhosi took an early lead with only two minutes played when Makabi Lilepo found the target but Evidence Makgopa levelled matters fore Pirates in the 24th minute. However, Relebohile Mofokeng combined with Deon Hotto to seal the win for Pirates.

Analysing the game, the former Bafana Bafana custodian explained that Pirates players were better than those of Chiefs because they have been together for a long period of time.

“I think my answer will be simple on that,” Khune said as quoted by idiskitimes. “Remember coach Jose [Riveiro] has been with Pirates for three seasons and they have created that family bond with players. He has given them an opportunity; he’s been giving them regular game-time. Coach Nabi has now just arrived at the club and obviously is still trying to know the players better, find good combinations.

“There’s been a level of inconsistency of the youngsters at Kaizer Chiefs because of that reason that the coach is new and he wants to get the right combinations. Remember at the start of the season, you would see Mduduzi [Shabalala] playing regularly.

“Kaizer Chiefs fans relied a lot on him, and he scored goals, important goals. [Mfundo] Vilakazi came on as a sub a lot of times just to close down the game. You had your Samkelo Zwane, so all players at Kaizer Chiefs, especially the young ones, they’ve been inconsistent because coach is trying different combinations.

“But at Pirates three years later, we would think that all these players are consistent, yes, they’ve been consistent, why, because coach doesn’t chop and change.

“He knows his starting 11, it’s standard and he just makes one or two changes, whereas at Chiefs, the new coach doesn’t get the results the next game he changes the entire team, trying different players in different positions, different combinations. I think if you had to compare the two, those are my reasons.”

While the defeat left Chiefs ninth on the 16-team league table with 30 points from 26 matches, the victory saw Pirates reach 49 points and remained second on the log.