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Shonga: It’s the last bullet in the gun for Pirates

Cape Town – Orlando Pirates striker Justin Shonga says Bucs' technical team see his free-kicks as vital when the side is struggling to score from open play.

Shonga is becoming something of a dead-ball specialist as he has scored against Light Stars in the CAF Champions League on Wednesday, as well as against Polokwane City in the Premiership on 6 November.

In addition, the Zambia star scored for his country from a set-piece against Guinea Bissau in October.

He said: "It all comes from practicing at training. I practice them a lot with Jackson Mabokgwane, because the coaches always say, 'It's the last bullet in the gun'.

"If we fail to score in open play but find even a single set-piece in a match, and we don't get two or three, then we always have to make full use of it.

"They [the technical team] always put everything on me – they have the trust in me, so I have to pay back that faith [by scoring].

The 22-year-old added that the burden of scoring for the Sea Robbers is something the team as a whole share. In the current campaign the Chipata-born star has scored three goals in all competitions.

He concluded: "I think the [responsibility of scoring] is a shared thing, because if I'm not in the right position, I have to pass to Thembinkosi Lorch or to Augustine Mulenga.

"If I can't score then I have to assist, but as a striker I'm expected by the supporters to score in every game.

"The coaches always tell me, 'If you don't score, we understand. At least you assisted, or you played better, you do a lot of stuff [correctly] – you make movements according to how we want you to play now…

"They tell me sometimes, and the supporters won't understand it, but myself and the coaches do – that I need to make such a move to create space for any of Mulenga, Lorch or Thabiso Kutumela, or any of my teammates.

"So, it's just a share of the responsibility. That's what I'd say."

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