The decisive moment came in the first half when a strike from Pirates’ Tshepang Moremi sealed the victory at Moses Mabhida Stadium, securing the Buccaneers’ spot in the final.
Growing into the Game
Gabriel admitted his side started slowly but was proud of how they rallied and ultimately put significant pressure on the Soweto giants.
“We didn’t start the game on the front foot, a little slow start in the first half but as the game progressed, we felt coming into the second half we started to dominate the exchanges,” Gabriel stated.
The coach detailed how a tactical shift saw Richards Bay change their line of confrontation, opting to press Pirates higher up the pitch. This adjustment quickly paid dividends, creating several scoring opportunities.
“We created a few goal scoring chances… we had a clear cut chance where we could have at least equalised,” he recalled.
Pirates Under Siege
Gabriel noted the aggressive determination shown by his players as they pushed hard for an equalizer, creating a rare sight of pressure on a major opponent.
“We gave Pirates numerous nervous moments right to the final whistle. It even ended up where Pirates were time delaying, time delaying tactics and even the goalkeeper ended up with a yellow card. So, very seldom you see a Pirates team under so much pressure and under so much siege.”
Focus Shifts to the League
Despite the disappointment of missing out on the final, Gabriel stressed that the loss was a “gracious defeat” and that his team represented themselves well.
The coach believes the high-level performance will be crucial as they shift their focus back to the Betway Premiership campaign. He urged his players to maintain the same positivity and fighting spirit.
“We accept this result here, we must take the positives out of it and continue to grow in our league performance,” he concluded
