Derby day defiance: Nkosinathi Sibisi dismisses Orlando Pirates slump ahead of Kaizer Chiefs clash

Orlando Pirates captain Nkosinathi Sibisi insists that successive defeats will not pile additional pressure on the team ahead of their crucial Soweto derby clash against Kaizer Chiefs at FNB Stadium on Saturday (kick-off 3.30pm).

The Buccaneers are still chasing their first league title in almost 14 years, having last lifted the trophy in the 2011/12 season.

Despite having enjoyed the upper hand in this fixture in recent meetings, coach Abdeslam Ouaddou and his charges head into the derby slightly on the back foot after consecutive defeats — first a league loss to Mamelodi Sundowns, followed by a Nedbank Cup setback against Casric Stars.

Despite those results, captain Nkosinathi Sibisi has dismissed suggestions that the team is feeling any added pressure.

“There is no pressure; we have been in this situation before at the beginning of the season when we lost two consecutive league matches,” Sibisi said ahead of the encounter.

“We managed to turn things around and get ourselves to where we are now, so there’s no reason why we can’t do it again on Saturday. We are staying positive and believing that we can win the game.”

The centre-back added that the lessons learned from their early-season dip will be vital this time around. He pointed out that while Pirates struggled to create chances during that previous slump, the current issue lies in finishing.

“The lessons were harsh,” he admitted. “In those first two games we lost earlier in the season, we didn’t create enough chances, which is not the case now. We are creating opportunities; it’s just about converting them.

“There’s no extra pressure on the boys to try something completely different. If we can’t score from open play, then we must capitalise on set pieces. That has been the focus during the week.”

* Obakeng Meletse is Independent Media’s multi-sport writer. For fresh video content, follow our YouTube channel The Clutch