Junior Khanye believes that Orlando Pirates were the better side in the Soweto derby despite his prediction prior to the match that Kaizer Chiefs would win.
Pirates defeated Chiefs 1-0 at FNB Stadium on Saturday to end their hoodoo in the league against their perennial rivals.
The victory has taken the Buccaneers to seventh place on the log and above Chiefs, who have moved down to 10th although there is only one point difference between the two teams.
Khanye says he also felt that Chiefs' interim coach Cavin Johnson got some of his decisions wrong in selecting the starting eleven in his first Soweto derby.
The Good
"Pirates looked a better team and that's probably because they had so many ball playing players in their side compared to Chiefs. They have players who were prepared to take responsibility on the field. A player like (Thembinkosi) Lorch is experienced and has scored in different derbies before. Pirates players have won trophies together and they are experienced in high-profile matches. Pirates have players on their side who have character and that's important in a team. I am talking about guys like Lorch, (Patrick) Maswanganyi and the young (Relebohile) Mofokeng," said Khanye.
The Bad
"It was not one of the best derbies and I have to be honest about that. The Soweto derby has lot its spark because of the lack of quality in players although Pirates looked much better. When did Chiefs last play in a final? That was the difference between the two teams," he said.
The Ugly
"Chiefs players are under too much pressure and that's because they haven't won anything in so many years. The coach is also very much under pressure and he is still new to the team and didn't sign any of the players he is working with. Cavin is a very good coach and I still maintain but I felt that he got some of his decisions wrong against Pirates. I felt that the team was too defensive. I counted about seven defensive players in his starting line up and I felt that there was no need for all of them to be on the field at once. Chiefs were static in the middle and it was difficult for them to get into Pirates' final third in the way they should have. Chiefs were losing balls easily and they couldn't even combine well. I know Cavin as a coach who likes his players to combine well but the problem was how he approached the game. I feel pity for (Itumeleng) Khune because he is one of the best goalkeepers and he saved the team several times. With a proper team in front of him, Khune can help the club more," he added.
"I got my prediction wrong"
"I do admit that I got my prediction wrong and I can't run away from it. I predicted that Chiefs would win but it didn't happen that way and that's why I am the first one to admit that I was wrong. The thing is I didn't expect the Chiefs coach to set up his team the way he did but these things happen in football," concluded Khanye.
Can Johnson help Chiefs to reclaim glory?
