Orlando Pirates interim coach Augusto Palacios launched a tirade at the club’s fickle supporters after the Buccaneers broke clear at the top of the Premiership table with a 2-1 win over Jomo Cosmos on Monday night.
“One thing I did not like was the behaviour of the supporters today,” Palacios said.
The crowd had called for the substitution of goalkeeper Senzo Meyiwa after Cosmos player Siyabonga Nhlapho beat the Buccaneers shot-stopper from almost 30 metres out in the 25th minute of the game.
“I cannot tolerate this. I can never tolerate this,” Palacios said.
“Our own supporters make a noise about our keeper after their goal, but the goal was perfect.
“The goal was from outside [the box], so why do they not say we didn’t close him down to not shoot.
“It’s a perception of people sometimes with Pirates players [that they should be substituted], but I will stay like this.”
Palacios said the Ghost, as the Pirates supporters are known, could not entice him to make changes on the field.
“The supporter needs to support the team,” he said.
“You cannot shout about who must go out. I can never make changes for the supporters, because then I would not be the coach.”
“I have been at Pirates 17 years, and I know this team,” he added.
Buccaneers get one too
Pirates scored a thunderbolt of their own in injury time, which sent them three points clear of Mamelodi Sundowns at the top of the standings, after a draw seemed a likely result for the majority of the match.
“I said to the players that after the last two games that Cosmos played, especially against Ajax, they were going to be a difficult side to beat,” Palacios said.
“They had players from suspensions coming back into the team.
“We knew the organisation they had, the pace they have on the wing.
“They have a quick counter-attack, good set-pieces and they are solid at the back.”
Palacios heaped praise on a log-bottom Cosmos outfit he believed would avoid the relegation axe.
“They scored a good goal,” he said.
“We also scored a good goal from far out, but we managed to win the game and get three points.
“It was a very difficult game, and [they] played well … Cosmos are not a team that deserve to be in this position.” — Sapa