26th April 2025
Pirates led twice in this game but conceded immediately after scoring. The three goals they conceded, two coming from crosses, were not dealt with, and there was also a set-play, which led to Fiston Mayele’s decisive goal. J
urÄiÄ also says the substitutions of Ramadan Sobhy and Sodiq Awujoola in the second half were the turning point.
"The biggest reaction was after six minutes then I put Ramadan [Sobhi] inside it was the biggest reaction but because in this moment we were losing 2-1 and I had to make some action and I'm happy that my action was very good today,” Jurcic said.
“A lot of times journalists ask me what you said during half-time? No, we're working, I'm here for one year and three or four months, I speak in one year and three four months to my players so they can play today like this.
“During the half-time you give some small information, some reaction, some small instruction but this is not a magic stick, in one year and three months I was working and now we are performing like this."
JurÄiÄ’s comments about capitalising on Pirates’ shortcomings in dealing with wing play and crosses were supported by veteran striker Dodo Elgabas.
"Yes, we know that we are strong on the sides and we have a good striker like Mayeli [Fiston] in the box, so we try to play more direct balls in the box and that's something we limited a lot on the first half, there was not a lot of goals like this but second half we managed to put a lot of goals in the box and we could score that second and third goal like this."