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Cape Town - Attacking midfielder Thabo Qalinge says only his coach can decide if he deserves to start Orlando Pirates' next match having come from the bench to score the winner against AmaZulu.
Qalinge has struggled with injuries this season which has limited his chances of featuring regularly for the Soweto giants.
The 26-year old winger said the time he got on the field against AmaZulu was enough for him to adjust and make a contribution for his team.
However, the Bucs fan favourite feels his coach knows what’s best for the team and will respect his decisions.
“In the game against AmaZulu, what helped me is that I came in a bit earlier and got a chance to adjust to the game," Qalinge told SuperSport TV.
“I would not say that, what I would say is, I would just respect the coach’s decisions. He knows what he is doing, if he believes that I should start and then I will start.
“If I should start on the bench then I will start on the bench as long I just come in and work for the team to produce positive results.”
Just like his coaches and other teammates, the speedy winger downplayed his team’s chances in the Premiership race, saying Pirates are playing to win matches and reclaim their place as a big team.
Pirates are in second position in the Premiership standings, but trail Mamelodi Sundowns by three points, which could be increased to six if they beat Golden Arrows on Tuesday evening.
Qalinge added: "We are just looking to improve from last season. That’s what we are doing. We are looking to up our game because last season we did not do well.
“So we are just trying to win games and show that we are a big team.”
