Orbit brave in defeat without key man Saleng against Pirates

Orbit College coach Pogiso Makhoye was pleased with how his side applied themselves despite suffering their third defeat of the season, a 1-0 loss to Orlando Pirates on Tuesday evening.

The Rustenburg-based outfit now sit in 14th place with just three points from their opening four matches.

Even in defeat, Orbit left the Orlando Stadium with heads held high. The venue is notorious for its intensity, especially for newcomers, and few expected the side to hold their own against a Pirates team brimming with quality. 

Makhoye was encouraged by his players’ commitment, despite the Bucaneers managing to find a second half winner through Lebone Seema.

“We had a good game plan and we didn’t allow the centre backs to have more of the ball and build from the back,” Makhoye said after the match.

“We know in terms of diagonal balls, they can pinpoint their wingers and we said we need to press them high, and every time we had to impose the game on them.

“The boys did well especially in the first half. In the second, after we lost Setlhodi, we lost our defensive organisation and we conceded, but the boys played well. Especially after our 3-0 loss against Sekhukhune United, nobody gave us a chance today. Some people might have expected us to get eight goals, but I’m happy and the boys applied themselves well.”

The Mswenko Boys went into the match without key players, including Pirates loanee Monnapule Saleng, whose loan deal prevents him from facing his parent club. With a relatively young squad, Makhoye saw the game as an opportunity to experiment and give chances to new players.

The PSL promotional playoffs champions are also yet to play at their Olympia Park Stadium, which is under renovation to meet Premiership standards. As a result, they have had to move and adjust to their temporary home at Dobsonville Stadium.

“We had eight DDC players today in our starting eleven that came in and imposed themselves,” Makhoye added.

“The first five games is an experiment until we get our best team. We knew that we didn’t have a good preseason, and the boys who came in really performed well.

“In terms of the stadium, I cannot give the right answers because we have been concentrating on our games. I do not want to be distracted. Until the municipality says something, maybe I will be able to comment on that.”

Makhoye also confirmed that Saleng’s absence was anticipated and did not hinder preparations or the match.

“We knew when we got them on loan from Pirates that they were not going to play.

“We are talking about one player that has been in the starting eleven for the past three games, so we always had a plan and we knew Saleng was not going to be part of this and it never distracted us.

“He was here today supporting the team because he also knew he wouldn’t play.”