'Orlando Pirates need more ruthlessness to win matches' - Ncikazi

Orlando Pirates interim co-coach Mandla Ncikazi was disappointed with his charges' decision-making in the final third following their clash with Marumo Gallants on Tuesday, and has called on them to show more ruthlessness moving forwards.

The Buccaneers remain winless in the current campaign after drawing 0-0 with Bahlabane Ba Ntwa in a PSL encounter that was played at Peter Mokaba Stadium in Polokwane.

Ncikazi cut a disappointed figure as he reflected on the match which saw the Soweto giants create few clear-cut chances. 

"Disappointed with the result. When you look at the match and see how the opponent played they were playing with a low block," Ncikazi told SuperSport TV. "At the beginning of the season you still have to get the rhythm as a team.

"Trying to fix certain things. But I never thought they would play that low. It suited their game," he added. "If we're going to win matches we need to be more ruthless. We're not going to create lots of chances when a team plays like that."

Pirates started the current term with a 2-1 defeat to Swallows FC in the MTN8 clash on August 14, before drawing 2-2 with Stellenbosh FC in a league game over the weekend.

Ncikazi, who is currently in charge of Bucs along with Fadlu Davids, feels that there was a bit of an improvement in the team's performance following the draw with Gallants.

"First half we had a few half chances and a chance we did not take. I thought we would take a few from set plays, but the delivery was not in the right place but it's a work in progress," he said.

"I'm disappointed but I see the improvement a bit and the confidence in the team and how they circulate and protect the ball, but the result is not what we expected.

"Based on how the opponents were playing we had to try and pause a bit. We changed the formation that we started with and changed the personnel on top.

"I thought the changes had the effect but sometimes we lost the ball in areas where we need to be patient. Maybe the wrong pass, the wrong decision, the timing is not right in the final third," he added. "Maybe with time we will improve but like I said there is progress. There is confidence which is important to win."

The Buccaneers will not be in action in the next three weeks with the MTN8 semi-final first-leg matches taking place and Fifa international break coming up.

Asked what they will be doing during the three weeks, Ncikazi said: "If we are possession-based we have to create chances based on the possession that we are having.

"For the amount of possession we had, we did not create enough. We have to try and create chances," he continued. "The number of final third entries. Isolate one side to overload. We still have to work on that and maybe our entries.

"We have a lot of work to do. The first game we had problems at the back. I think today we were superb at the back. We just have to fix what is happening in the final third."