Football: International friendly match-Poor Pirates!!! |02 September 2008

The Pirates looked disorganised and were unable to contain the young South Africans who skillfully beat the Seychelles defence with their quick passing game and intelligent off-the-ball movements.

Considering the heavy defeat, will it be safe to say that the Pirates played with no purpose and no imagination?

And why couldn’t the Pirates respond to the opponents’ tactic and why did they stick to playing a flat defence, giving the South Africans a lot of space to organise their play?

Football director Ulric Mathiot told the media after the match that the South Africans are skillful and intelligent. He even said that this is how we imagine future Seychelles teams to play football. But the one thing he did not say was how to stop the South Africans.

What about the experience gathered by Seychellois players in the many international matches they have played over the years?

Why did not they come in handy against the young South Africans?

After the team’s recent displays against Tunisia, Burkina Faso (in the World Cup and African Nations Cup 2010 qualifiers) and, Mauritius, Madagascar and Swaziland (in the Cosafa Senior Challenge Cup) there were talks that the Pirates had come a long way from being just an ordinary team.

But like always, the Pirates are capable of disappointing their fans, just like in Madagascar last year when they lost 0-3 to Mauritius in the second group match when needing only a draw or to avoid losing by more than two goals to make the semifinals of the Seventh Indian Ocean Islands Games.

All matches, be they friendly or competitive, are important as teams learn from each other. But how much did the Pirates learn when they conceded carbon copy goals?
It seems that no instructions came from the substitutes’ bench or if there were, the coaching staff were themselves surpassed on the occasion.

The match against the South Africa Under-20 team was a good opportunity for the Pirates to prepare for their encounter with Burundi this coming Saturday, but fans are already wondering what kind of performance will the Pirates put up or if it is worth paying to come and watch them play.

It also seems that not all the players on the team are aware of the task that lies before them when they wear the Seychelles colours.

It is high time they understand that already a lot of money is being invested in Seychelles football – more than in any other sport that brings the country pride internationally. They should give their best each time they are selected to play.

 
The defeat was one of the worst for the Pirates on home soil and even Seychelles Football Federation (SFF) chairman Suketu Patel, who once said ‘It’s OK to lose’ in a press conference after a loss by the Seychelles team, was disappointed with the result.

Patel had this to say to Sports Nation yesterday: “The federation has done its part by looking for matches and giving the team the right preparation, but if the players forget about what they have to do and don’t show any character there is not much we can do. We have already spent R2 million with the Pirates this year and it’s discouraging to see the team perform in such a way. Had the team lost after giving a good display, there would have been nothing wrong. But the team just did not perform. There was no leadership on the pitch. I hope they will redeem themselves on Saturday and I’m confident the country’s Under-20 team will give a better performance on Wednesday.”

G. G.