Orlando Pirates midfielder Thalente Mbatha has spoken about the conversations he and his teammates had with coach Jose Riveiro that inspired the comeback against Kaizer Chiefs, in the recent Soweto derby.
The 24-year-old was part of the Pirates side that came back twice to defeat Chiefs 3-2 in DStv Premiership derby earlier this month, a result that ensured a double over their arch rivals this season.
Mbatha told iDiski Times Senior Writer Velile Mnyandu in the latest edition of the newspaper, that Riveiro’s confidence in the players was key as he was the one who believed they could always come back from anything.
“It was coming from the coach honestly because he told us before the game that it doesn’t matter if they score one or two goals, we are still going to come back,” Mbatha told iDiski Times.
“If we stick to our game plan and play our football we’ll get chances.”
This was the former Highlands Park and SuperSport United man’s first Soweto derby and he admits it was an emotional day.
“I was scared to be honest but I told myself that the minute I get a chance to play in a derby, I’ll just do my best and play my football because that’s why I was signed at Pirates, because of how I play.”
“So I feel like I was just supposed to go there and give what the people want and the confidence that the coach told me to bring.”
You can read Mbatha’s full interview with Mnyandu in edition 146 available for FREE when you SIGN up for iDiski Times WhatsApp channel.
