Micho: Players worked hard and football paid them back

Cape Town - Orlando Pirates coach Milutin Sredojevic paid tribute to his side's resilience after their 2-1 Soweto Derby comeback victory over Kaizer Chiefs.

Pirates fell behind early on to a Khama Billiat strike before Justin Shonga saw his penalty saved by Itumeleng Khune.

However, the Buccaneers rallied on and equalised through Innocent Maela before Vincent Pule scored what proved to be the winner.

"The biggest game in South African football always comes with tension, stress and pressure," Sredojevic told SuperSport after the match.

"We have planned well during the week to keep the concentration, but it was not meant to be in the first 20 minutes. We had not been ourselves. It looked like the occasion locked our legs.

"We went one goal down. We came back and won that penalty. And when a team misses a penalty, it's very hard to come back.

"But unbelievable character of our players, of our team. [They] worked very hard. We scored two goals quickly, leading 2-1.

"We believe that we have protected the lead very well and won this game. I need to give credit to my players, they have worked very hard and football paid them back.

"To the technical team, especially to Rhulani Mokwena who grew up as a kid in Soweto: I knew what this meant to me and to him.

"If us, the technical team, the players have to to dedicate this win [to someone], let us dedicate this to him because he has worked very hard for this to happen today."

The victory saw second-placed Pirates move back within one point of Premiership leaders Wits, who have a game in hand.