We came to Thohoyandou with right mindset, says Pirates defender Jooste

Following their dominant display in their DStv Premiership tie against Tshakuma Tsha Madzivhandila, Orlando Pirates right-back Wayde Jooste says what was important for them on the day was to make sure they score as many goals as they can.

ALSO READ: Orlando Pirates rout TTM to register first league win in 2021

Bucs had the upper hand in the game from the early moments of the tie as they scored within only 16 minutes of play and went into half-time 2-0 up after Gabadinho Mhango doubled their lead in the 39^th minute.

TTM seemed to be down and out, but Jooste emphasises that they kept on motivating each other to got and get more goals as Fortune Makaringe made it 3-0 just after the hour mark at the Thohoyandou Stadium on Wednesday.

With the Soweto club having arrived in Limpopo two days before the match, Jooste says that helped them to adjust to the hot weather conditions in Limpopo ahead of the match.

“We came here with the right mindset and attitude. From the first whistle we decided that we are going to give it our all. We got the first goal and once we got it we decided that we are not going to be complacent we said we needed to get more. We got the second one and we went into the half time break 2-0 up. Even during half time we were motivating each other to not come out and be complacent, but to carry on where we left off. That’s what happened here today,” said the Bucs defender.

“It’s very hot here, so it helped to acclimatise with the conditions. We’ve been here since Monday. It’s very important for us to score goals, not just to win, but to score goals. We know that the goals are going to make a big difference come the end of the league.”

Meanwhile, TTM head coach Joel Masutha says his charges gave the game away with their sloppy defending in the first half.

Masutha reveals that they knew exactly how Bucs were going to approach the game, but they did what they were not supposed to do.

“I felt the game was lost in the first half to be honest. We defended really badly, we made too many mistakes in crucial stages areas. We gave away the game, we gave Pirates the victory. Yes, they played but we contributed in their goals,” he said.

“It was a game whereby we did exactly what we were not supposed to do especially earlier on. We agreed that we are going to bypass their pressing in the first 25 minutes knowing that they are going to put pressure on us a lot pressure of with Gaba, Thembinkosi Lorch and Vincent Pule. I’ve watched Pirates and we know how they play.”

Pirates are now in fourth place on the log standings with 17 points after 10 games, while TTM are in 12th place with nine points from as many matches.

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