Pirates coach Zinnbauer backs Mhango to get back to his best 

Orlando Pirates will be looking to continue with the display they showed in their tie with Tshakuma Tsha Madzivhandila when they host another Limpopo outfit Black Leopards in a league game at Thohoyandou Stadium on Saturday afternoon.

This was probably Bucs’ best performance this year, which saw them win the match 3-0 in a midweek clash.

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Despite managing to score three goals, Bucs registered their third clean sheet of the league campaign.

Malawian international striker Gabadinho Mhango came back into the line-up in the previous match and the last season’s top goal-scorer repaid his coach’s faith in him by getting into the score-sheet.

Mhango has been battling with injuries since the start of the season, but now his coach Josef Zinnbauer says he is eager to see Mhango get back to his best and he will definitely be vital for the game against a struggling Lidoda Duvha.

“Remember Gaba in the first few weeks of the season he was injured. And it’s not so easy to come back with a muscle injury. You come back and the team is playing good. Zakhele Lepasa and Tshegofatso Mabasa were always in the squad assisting in the games and it’s not so easy for a striker to just come in,” said the Bucs coach.

“But now he is coming closer and closer (to full fitness). We feel it at training, we feel it in the games when he comes in. He is coming closer and closer and he can smell his chance. I hope he comes back (to his best) we need him. But we also have other strikers.”

Going into the Leopards game, the Bucs mentor will be looking to play with more offensive players as he did in the Tshakuma game.

“It’s good for us, this was the reason with the way we lined-up. We want to play more offensive. I’m happy Gaba scored. For him, his confidence will come back. As well as Fortune Makaringe as an offensive midfielder he is flexible and it’s good for us (that he scored). And Deon Hotto as well as a winger. It’s important for our strikers to get self-confidence.”

In the last two league meetings, Bucs won the first round 3-1 and went on to win the second leg 1-0.

Pirates are currently in fourth place on the log standings with 17 points after 10 games, while Leopards are rooted at the bottom of the standings with six points from nine games.

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