Pirates were unfortunate to lose against Al-Ittihad – Mothibi

Orlando Pirates were just unfortunate to lose to Libyan outfit Al-Ittihad in a Group B clash in the Caf Confederation Cup played at the Benina Martyrs Stadium in Benghazi on Sunday, says ex-Bucs striker James Mothibi.

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Pirates twice levelled the score against Al-Ittihad, with Bandile Shandu scoring a brace for the Soweto giants, but a 53rd minute strike by Omar Al Khouja saw the hosts emerging as 3-2 winners on the day.

“I think the guys played well, they did very well from the first whistle to the end. They gave a good fight and I love what I saw because you can see that they were fighting for the badge, they love the team.

“The loss is not really a big issue, I mean, it was an away game and I think some people might have thought they were going to be hammered,” said the former Pirates goal-poacher.

“It is still early in the tournament, there is still a long way to go and I hope the guys won’t be demoralised by the defeat. I want them to lift their heads high and know that they will bounce back from the loss. I am very positive about it.”

Mothibi also praised defender Bandile Shandu after the former Maritzburg United player scored a brace.

The ex-Bucs striker says the 27-year-old is slowly becoming the quality player that he is meant to be and his eye for goal makes him a very important player for Pirates.

“He knows how to position himself and knows his way around the box, which works very well for him.”

Bucs have registered a win and a loss in their first two group games, while it was Al-Ittihad’s first game and the two teams are now level on three points with Saoura after the Algerians beat Swaziland’s Royal Leopards.