Leal praises defiant Pirates

Orlando Pirates coach Julio Leal has praised his side for a hard-fought 2-1 win over Jomo Cosmos in Port Elizabeth on Sunday.

Goals from Isaac Chansa and Tokelo Rantie were enough to hand the visitors the three points in their Premier Soccer League (PSL) encounter, ending their four-match losing streak.

The Pirates had to fight back from a deficit at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium, after Siyabonga Nontshinga had given Cosmos the lead on the half-hour mark.

Leal says he was pleased with the three points, but admits that there is still work to be done if they are to defend their title.

“First, it was very important to win here and get three points to improve our position on the log. It came at a good time. It was an away game and I think the team adjusted very well,” he told the PSL website.

“In the second half, I think we improved, we put a little bit of pressure. I think when we changed and put players like (Tlou) Segolela we became more aggressive. We didn’t play the whole game well as we would like to do, but we scored goals.”