Orlando Pirates line-up prediction vs Royal AM

Orlando Pirates have travelled to Royal AM with three key players suspended: Sipho Chaine, Miguel Timm and Deon Hotto. Here’s our line-up prediction…

ORLANDO PIRATES PREDICTED LINE-UP VS ROYAL AM

As previously confirmed in the week, goalkeeper Chaine, Hotto at left fullback, and Timm in midfield started the Sea Robbers’ last three matches, in which Orlando Pirates scored 12 goals and conceded three. Those were the 7-1 win over Golden Arrows, the 4-2 win over AmaZulu in the Nedbank Cup, and the 1-0 win over the same AmaZulu in the DStv Premiership.

Due to four accumulated yellow cards for the trio, coach Jose Riveiro has to replace Chaine, Hotto and Timm in Pietermaritzburg on Sunday.

• Goalkeeper – Melusi Buthelezi
• Right Back – Thabiso Lebitso
• Central Defender – Tapelo Xoki
• Central Defender – Thabiso Sesane
• Left Back – Innocent Maela
• Central Midfielder – Makhehlene Makhaula
• Central Midfielder – Thalente Mbatha
• Central Attacking Midfielder – Patrick Maswanganyi
• Left Forward – Relebohile Mofokeng
• Right Forward – Kabelo Dlamini
• Center Forward – Tshegofatso Mabasa.

Kick off will be at 15:00 from the Harry Gwala Stadium.

JOSE RIVEIRO CONFIDENCE

Speaking to the media about the situation, the Orlando Pirates coach expressed calm and confidence in his squad of available players.

“I am not thinking too much about players who’ll be missing. We have 38 players in the squad,” Riveiro said via The Sowetan.

“Eighty percent are available to play in a good momentum, so if we get yellow, we get yellow, and if it’s the fourth one, it’s the fourth one; we go to the next game because we have many players ready to go and everyone is going to be needed at this stage of the season.

TSHEGOFATSO MABASA FLYING FOR ORLANDO PIRATES

The Orlando Pirates coach also took a moment to salute the man of the moment: Tshegofatso Mabasa.

“He [Mabasa] is one more piece in our structure, an important one right now. I am happy when the players, especially the forwards, are delivering goals.

“I am happier when they take responsibility in the last metres. He’s constantly offering us all the options and possibilities for the players around him… for our No 10s. He helps us to be aggressive when we press because he’s our first defender of the team when we don’t have the ball,” the Orlando Pirates mentor added.

“He’s also doing well because the ones who are behind him, the ones who are not playing recently, are training very well and they are putting pressure and want to play as well. In the end, only one [striker] can play but this is a team and everybody is working to make it possible,” Riveiro concluded.