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Goal explains why the inability of the Soweto giants to create opportunities is becoming their Achilles heel
Coach Josef Zinnbauer could only stand, watch and admire as Luvuyo Memela created scoring opportunities for AmaZulu FC against the Orlando Pirates on Saturday night.
The hard-working midfielder tormented the Bucs defense from the start of the Premer Soccer League (PSL) game until the last minute when the two teams drew 1-1 in Durban.
Memela’s unpredictable attacking style wreaked havoc on the Soweto giants and knocked their opponents out of position with her smart move and silky skills.
The Cape Town-born player found loopholes in the Bucs’ defense with ease while operating as a playmaker behind leading forward Lehlohonolo Majoro, who had numerous opportunities that he missed.
Memela also made late runs to the penalty area which saw him take a foul in the area and AmaZulu received a penalty, which Majoro rebounded after his shot from the spot was stopped by Pirates goalkeeper Wayne Sandilands.
The left-hander was unlucky enough not to score a late winning goal, as his former teammate Sandilands saved his header well from the far post in injury time.
The hackers’ decision to let Memela walk away with a free transfer earlier this month has come back to haunt them as he is a player they need right now.
A lethargic Bucs team struggled to break through AmaZulu’s defense throughout the game and had to resort to crosses that did not disturb Siyabonga Mbatha in AmaZulu’s goal.
Zinnbauer had adopted the same game plan he had for MTN8’s quarterfinal clash with Cape Town City, in which his team played on the wings and centers were played in the area.
Terrence Dzvukamanja’s lone goal came from a Wayde Jooste cross and was enough for the Pirates to win 1-0 over 10-man City with Memela being a notable absence from the team last weekend.
Later, Memela resurfaced in AmaZulu, where coach Ayanda Dlamini and his team’s coaches were busy studying and analyzing videos of Bucs’ match against City.
Unsurprisingly, the Pirates tried to attack on the wings against Usuthu and Jooste constantly played crosses into the area in search of the attackers.
However, the imposing AmaZulu defender Mario Booysen handled the aerial balls that were played in the area well throughout the match.
There was no serve for diminutive forwards Frank Mhango and Dzvukamanja, who couldn’t compete with Booysen and fellow central defender Tapelo Xoki in aerial battles.
The only time the Pirates were able to alter the defense of the KwaZulu-Natal giants was when they attacked through midfield, which only happened occasionally.
Siphesihle Ndlovu posed a threat to the hosts’ defense with his runs from midfield and was fouled in the box after venturing forward.
The resulting penalty was converted by Mhango to give Bucs the lead, but after that, the Soweto giants were back on the wing, which did not bother Usuthu’s defense.
Zinnbauer is back on the drawing board as he looks for a solution to the team’s inability to create enough opportunities ahead of their next meeting with Stellenbosch FC on Wednesday.
The last time the Pirates scored more than one goal in a game was two months ago when they defeated SuperSport United 2-1 in a league game.
Since then, the Bucs have scored once in each of their last four games, which is not good enough for a team looking to compete for the league title this term.
Zinnbauer has some of the most creative players in the country at his disposal in Pirates with Deon Hotto, Thembinkosi Lorch and Vincent Pule being quality playmakers.
Hotto, who can operate behind the forwards or as a winger, recorded the most assists (13) in the league during the 2018/19 season, while playing for the now-defunct Bidvest Wits.
The Namibia international is in his first season with the Buccaneers and he may need time to adjust to the Soweto giants, but it is Zinnbuaer’s job to make sure the player calms down quickly and begins to meet the team.
While Lorch and Pule were influential players for the Pirates when they were perennial title contenders between 2018 and 2019 under Milutin ‘Micho’ Sredojevic as they created and scored goals for fun.
The duo have been inconsistent since Zinnbauer took over the team in December 2019 and Bucs trusted Memela last season, but has since left the Houghton-based giants.
Zinnbauer will have to find a way to bring out the best in his key playmakers, and if he does, the Pirates will be real challengers for the title.
