Kaizer Chiefs coach Gavin Hunt has explained his decision to substitute Nkosingiphile Ngcobo at half time during their defeat by Orlando Pirates this past weekend.

The Glamour Boys suffered their first loss in five games when they fell to a 2-1 defeat by the Buccaneers at the Orlando Stadium, with their previous loss coming against Maritzburg United on 9 January.

After going down 1-0 at half time, Hunt decided to replace Ngcobo with Happy Mashiane, who made an immediate impact as he won a penalty early in the second half.

However, Amakhosi captain Samir Nurkovic failed to convert the penalty after he was denied by a great save by Pirates goalkeeper Richard Ofori.

Hunt has since admitted that Ngcobo wasn’t replaced as a result of an injury but for tactical reasons, as he believed ‘it was not his type of game’.

‘There was no injury concern,’ Hunt told the media after their DStv Premiership clash with Pirates.

‘It was not his type of game. I thought so, and it was proved right because it was one-way traffic in the second half after the changes we made. We had a change of shape and it was much better, we kept them [Pirates] back and we looked much better. We needed more width.’

Kaizer Chiefs will be hoping to bounce back when they take on Richards Bay at the FNB Stadium in the Nedbank Cup on Sunday, with kick-off set for 5pm.