Zinnbauer warns Pirates: ‘Chiefs an improved team’

by Graeme Jackson

Saturday Mar 20, 2021. 16:00

Orlando Pirates manager Josef Zinnbauer has warned his team of the threat posed by an improved Kaizer Chiefs ahead of Sunday’s Soweto derby in the DStv Premiership.

Pirates come into the match at FNB Stadium in fine form, having put together a 10-game unbeaten run across all competitions. This includes a 1-0 home win over Nigerian giants Enyimba in the CAF Confederation Cup this past midweek.

The Buccaneers have also won all three of their matches against Chiefs so far this season, defeating the Amakhosi in both legs of the MTN8 semifinal and 2-1 when they met in the Premiership in late January.

DStv Premiership League Table

However, Pirates’ German coach is adamant that those results mean nothing heading into the Sunday derby, adding that Chiefs have shown an improvement under manager Gavin Hunt in recent weeks.

“We are playing against a big club, with what we know is quality players and a quality coach,” Zinnbauer is quoted by The South African.

“He knows exactly what happened in the derby and what happened in the league, what he can do fighting for titles also. He has a lot of experience and he knows exactly what he has to say to the players.”

He added, “We know they have struggled a little bit in the league but you see also in the CAF Champions League how they come closer to the points and get more points, and also in the league. Now it’s a signal that they are coming better in the games.”

Chiefs are unbeaten in their last three matches, including a 0-0 draw away to Angola’s Petro de Luanda in the Champions League last Tuesday.