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Cape Town - Orlando Pirates coach Vladimir Vermezovic believes that his troops were not aggressive enough after their defeat to Mpumalanga Black Aces.
Read: Pirates fall to Black Aces
"First half we were too shy, we weren't aggressive, we weren't smart in the middle of the camp. We started the second half much better but it wasn't good enough," said Vermezovic.
According to KickOff, the Sea Robbers had a good amount of chances to overturn the deficit and come away with at least a draw but it was not to happen as the Sowetan side conceded again from a dead ball situation.
“Again we made silly mistakes on set-pieces, it's the ninth goal we have conceded from set-pieces and we're working on it but simply [something] is not working," said the Serbian.
Vermezovic revealed confidently that he knows that the fans would feel “satisfied” with their performance but the result shows something totally different.
Pirates have been struggling with defending from set piece situations and the story has not changed since the problem was made light of when Tefu Mashamaite’s lone headed strike divided things at the end of the MTN8 final which came from a free-kick.
It was a free-kick delivery from the right flank which found the head of former Pirates striker Collins Mbesuma and the Zambian directed his effort into the back of the net to make it 1-0 to aces in the 12th minute. Mabhuti Khenyeza’s late penalty proved the difference between the sides, with Mbesuma’s early opener cancelled out by a second half penalty from Lehlohonolo Majoro.
This weekend, Pirates and Ajax Cape Town will renew their cup rivalry when the teams meet for a Telkom Knockout quarterfinal at Orlando Stadium on Saturday, October 25.
Kick-off is at 20:15.
