Orlando Pirates midfielder Fortune Makaringe has urged his side to start defending from the front after playing to a 1-1 draw with Bloemfontein Celtic.

The Buccaneers reached their sixth stalemate in the Absa Premiership when they shared the spoils with Phunya Sele Sele in their first game of the new year.

The draw moved Pirates up to sixth place in the league standings with 21 points from 15 games, having won five, drawn six and conceded four so far this season.

Makaringe, who walked away with the Man of the Match award, believes his side stuck to their gameplan and fought hard to earn a point against a stubborn Celtic side.

‘It was a tough match – very challenging. I have to give credit to the guys for such a well-fought effort throughout the match,’ Makaringe told the club’s social media platforms.

‘We played well in the first half, even in the second half. We were in control of the match even though they came at us.

‘We stuck to the gameplan. We had to absorb the pressure as much as possible as we were leading.

‘It [defence] has to start from the front. We have to defend from the front in order to stop them from coming into our half and score. It has to be a collective effort.

‘We are just taking each game as it comes, so, this one is done and dusted. We need to focus on the next game.’

Orlando Pirates will be hoping to bounce back when they take on Polokwane City in their next Absa Premiership encounter at the Peter Makaba Stadium on Tuesday, with kick-off set for 7:30pm.