Sekhukhune United must improve finishing against Orlando Pirates – Masehe

Sekhukhune United assistant coach Paulus Masehe says his side must be more clinical in front of goal when they face Orlando Pirates for the third time in seven days.

The teams meet again on Saturday in the second leg of their MTN8 semi-final at Orlando Amstel Arena, with kick-off scheduled for 15:00. Orlando Pirates take a 1-0 lead into the match after winning the first leg in Polokwane.

Pirates also recorded a 2-0 victory over Sekhukhune United in the Betway Premiership on Tuesday, leaving Masehe’s side needing to improve significantly if they are to overturn the deficit and progress from the tie.

Masehe believes the difference could come down to how effectively Sekhukhune United convert their opportunities. The team is expected to place particular emphasis on finishing during training before the decisive encounter.

“I think from here it’s just about working on those aspects that we feel are lacking in our team,” said Masehe.

The assistant coach identified the final third as the main area requiring attention. Sekhukhune United need to make better use of their attacking situations and improve the movement that creates opportunities.

“We must try to be clinical in the final third and that can only be done in training to try and create much better movement, create patterns.

“We must also create finishing drills that can be able to sharpen up their skills. Other than the attitude was good from our players [in the last game].

“We just have to work on those small details that need to be polished.”

Masehe said the players’ attitude in their most recent match was positive, despite the result. His focus is therefore on refining specific elements of their performance rather than questioning the team’s approach.

With the two sides meeting for the third time in a seven-day period, Sekhukhune United will have little time to make adjustments before the MTN8 semi-final second leg. They must score at least once to level the aggregate contest, while Orlando Pirates will attempt to protect the advantage secured in Polokwane.

The 2-0 Betway Premiership defeat on Tuesday followed the 1-0 loss in the opening leg, giving Orlando Pirates the upper hand in both recent meetings. Sekhukhune United’s response on Saturday will depend on whether they can turn the chances they create into goals.

Masehe’s message is clear: improved movement, better attacking patterns and more focused finishing work are required if Sekhukhune United are to change the outcome of the latest meeting and keep their MTN8 campaign alive.