“Lost 13 Players”: Krieling Defends Pirates’ Disastrous Derby Start Against Chiefs
Orlando Pirates reserve coach Roscoe Krieling says his side is building a brand-new team this season after losing 13 players, explaining that squad transition was behind their disastrous first-half performance in Sunday’s 3-2 DStv Diski Challenge (DDC) opening loss to Kaizer Chiefs.
Pirates were completely overrun in the opening 45 minutes, allowing Chiefs to capitalize and race into a commanding 3-0 lead by halftime.
However, the Buccaneers responded strongly after the break, scoring twice to mount a spirited fightback. Despite creating enough chances to salvage a 3-3 draw—or even steal a victory—their wasteful finishing in front of goal proved costly.
Defending DDC champions Pirates have now failed to defeat their arch-rivals in the reserve league since March 2023. Even during their title-winning campaign last season, Amakhosi claimed maximum points by beating Pirates in both home and away fixtures.
When asked whether folding so dramatically in the first half was acceptable for the defending champions, Krieling pointed to the massive squad turnover during the off-season.
“It is a whole new team; 13 players moved on to clubs in the Betway Premiership and Motsepe Foundation Championship,” Krieling explained.
“The majority of these young players are just 16 and 17 years old. I’m not upset—I’m actually quite pleased with how we played overall. When you look beyond the final result, coaching is happening, and player development is evident.”
While Krieling takes a long-term view on development, he acknowledged that fans never take a Soweto Derby defeat lightly, regardless of the age group.
“Of course, the supporters want to see us win and get results,” said Krieling.
“We don’t play to lose games; we play to win. But if you understand the process, you know we can only get better. Having worked at SuperSport United with young teams, I know that after six, seven, or eight games, you start seeing the true potential of these players.”
Krieling, who made the switch from SuperSport to Pirates ahead of last season, remains optimistic about his squad’s trajectory.
“They can only grow from here by being exposed to older players and competing at this level. Again, I thought we should have won the game. We had two clear-cut opportunities at the end, including a chance where Siyabonga Ngwenya skied his shot. I genuinely believe we had the chances to win it.”
Orlando Pirates reserve side will look to bounce back when they host Stellenbosch FC at the UJ Stadium on Saturday (13:00).
