The last five days have been good for Premier Soccer League side Cape Town City and their interim coach Muhsin Ertugral.
On Sunday, the Citizens claimed a 1-0 win over Kaizer Chiefs at the DHL Cape Town Stadium. They then followed it up with another victory, by the same margin, against Orlando Pirates at the same venue.
The six points collected put City in sixth position on the table with 17 points from the 12 games played. Ertugral has since explained how he managed to tame the Sea Robbers who came into the game as favourites.
Pirates tried to lure us but…
“Pirates is one of the best, not in South Africa only [but] in Africa, a great team to watch. We must say that the coach has really done a great job over the last couple of years,” the experienced tactician opened up.
“They are developing to a level that has been pretty much a high level of football. Yes, but with this high level of football, I think they have also the possibilities, similar like Chiefs, there are always counter chances.
“So, if you play this type of football you need to have security systems, security organization, patterns. We knew that Chiefs didn't have it as well. The moment when they enter the second or the third they lose the ball [due] to quick pressure, quick organization pattern.
“The wing, they try to lure you out, similar like Chiefs but much more precise, much more quicker.”
How did City evade the Pirates' traps?
Ertugral has further explained his analysis of Pirates and the execution of his plan, “So, there's always these triangles on the sides and sometimes you fall into that trap, [if] you still [do] not have that patience. So, then through the traps they play that so quickly that they come to our pockets but that's beautiful, so long that you close the red zone,” the 65-year-old added.
“The red zone is the zone in front of the box. So, I think pretty much we managed that and then obviously the goals are scored in the golden area and we didn't leave them a lot into the golden area.
“Yes, there was a lot of noise, a lot of possibilities, entries that looked very good but in the end, last shot, last pass, golden zone, the red zone was closed,” Ertugral concluded.
