Orlando Pirates caretaker coach Rhulani Mokwena has praised former mentor Steve Komphela’s tactics following their goalless draw with Golden Arrows on Wednesday evening.

The Buccaneers have now extended their winless run in the Absa Premiership to three games, having last tasted victory in their second league clash of the campaign with Bloemfontein Celtic on 3 August.

The Soweto giants have dropped down to 10th place in the league standings on five points, while Arrows occupy sixth place with seven points after four matches played.

Mokwena says his side came up against a well-coached team after Arrows collected a point at the Orlando Stadium.

‘After a game like that, what do you say? Credit to the boys for sticking to the game plan,’ Mokwena told SuperSport TV after the game.

‘Credit to the boys for being tactically superior today. It’s not an easy opponent to play against. It’s a well-coached team. They are very fluid in how they move from one phase to another.

‘They try to be very aggressive with their strikers, pulling them into wide play. We were brave though. Happy was brave, Maela was brave. It’s a Pirates team that’s learning what it takes to be winners.’

The Pirates mentor has called on supporters to be patient with the team after playing to two draws and a defeat in their last three league games.

‘All we can do is go back and work even harder. And you have to ask what is God teaching me? The biggest thing I would say is patience,’ he added.

‘The goals are eluding us. We are hitting the crossbar everyday. We are getting in to the final third. But it will come. We just have to continue and keep believing.

‘This is the same team that challenged for the title last season. It is the same squad of players that pushed Sundowns all the way. The same squad of players that went almost 22 games unbeaten. So we’ve got faith, we believe in them, they know we believe in them. And they need to just get that one win and we will turn things around.

‘I wish all the internationals would stay behind. We lose a couple of internationals, but it is a very, very needed Fifa break. We want to work on a lot of things and rebuild the confidence.’