'Orlando Pirates came with five players to the pitch'

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Former Orlando Pirates goalkeeper Moeneeb Josephs says his former club did not show up against Mamelodi Sundowns this past weekend.

The Buccaneers were hammered 4-1 at the Loftus Versfeld on Saturday afternoon. Coming into the match, Pirates knew a win would put them three points behind Masandawana with a game in hand but from the first whistle, the Sea Robbers never got going.

An early goal from Grant Kekana set the tone for the match. Despite having more possession, the Buccaneers failed to threaten the home side and eventually conceded again before half-time.

Orlando Pirates gets a rude awakening

A spirited performance in the early stages of the second half saw them pull one back but a lapse of concentration saw them concede a third. After that, the writing was on the wall for the Soweto giants.

Speaking on SoccerBeat, Josephs said Orlando pirates were caught napping in the first half.

It felt like for me, boys came to play against men today,” he said. “When you come up against a team like Mamelodi Sundowns right? you cannot come to the game with only five players on form. Because that’s what it looked like in the first half. You can’t do that, Sundowns is a well-oiled machine. They are not domestic champions year after year for nothing.

Orlando Pirates next face Baroka in the Nedbank Cup round of 16. Having won the tournament back to back, the Sea Robbers will be desperate to retain the trophy for the second time. With Kaizer Chiefs and Sundowns still in the tournament, it won’t be easy.