Cape Town - Orlando Pirates coach Eric Tinkler expects Ayanda Gcaba to continue leading from the back after contributing a goal win over Kaizer Chiefs.
Pirates thumped Chiefs 3-1 in the Soweto Derby over the weekend thanks to goals from Gcaba, Issa Sarr and Thamsanqa Gabuza.
As a central defender, Gcaba also kept the Amakhosi attack at bay with a solid performance that limited them to the single goal from Eric Mathoho.
Tinkler explained that Gcaba has turned into one of his most dependable defenders he has after initially struggling following his move from Free State Stars in 2012.
"Ayanda has always been put under a lot of pressure at the club and basically, I sat down with him and explained that he needs to try to go back to the basics; play the game that he knows and play to his strengths which is vitally important," Tinkler told KickOff.
"I have a lot of trust and belief in him and he feels that, hence he's producing the performances. I'm very proud of the performances he's producing, which is something he struggled with in the past."