Orlando Pirates coach Milutin Sredijevic has opened up about the return of utility player Abbubaker Mobara in his side’s Telkom Knockout victory against Chippa United.

The former Ajax Cape Town development product made his first start of the 2018-19 campaign as the Soweto giants edged the Chilli Boys to book their spot in the Telkom Knockout quarters alongside the likes of Kaizer Chiefs and Mamelodi Sundowns.

When quizzed about the Bafana Bafana international’s conspicuous absence, Micho stated that Mobara’s form had dipped, but insists that he is back to his best.

‘After so many problems faced, he [Mobara] reached a point of returning to his best; he fought and worked very hard and he deserved his place [in the team against Chippa],’ Micho said in post-match comments.

‘He was in certain aspects and in certain decisions shaky, especially at the beginning of the match, but later on he improved and some of the clearances and headers were a way of being injected with positives from the game.

‘I would like to say, in order to allow him to express himself in the best way, it was a very simple presentation to him: “If things are not OK, we take all the blame as the coaches; if things are OK, you take the credit.

‘[I told him] “let me remind you, you are Abbubaker Mobara; you are the person that had the most expensive player in the world, Neymar, in your pocket at the Olympic Games. With that in mind, do not live in the past but create your present and much more for the future ahead of you,”‘ he concluded.

Mobara will be hoping to the get the nod for a starting berth against arch-rivals Kaizer Chiefs, when Pirates do duty in the Soweto derby on Saturday with kick-off set for 3:30pm.

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