Sekhukhune United and Orlando Pirates coaches Cedric Kaze and Abdeslam Ouaddou are both confident that their teams can take the advantage when they meet in the first leg of the MTN8 semifinal at the Old Peter Mokaba Stadium in Polokwane on Saturday afternoon.
The highly anticipated encounter kicks off at 3pm, with both sides looking to put themselves in a strong position ahead of next weekend’s decisive second leg.
For Pirates, the match represents another step in their bid to defend the MTN8 crown and win the competition for an unprecedented fifth consecutive time. The Buccaneers reached the semifinals after edging Durban City 2-1 after extra time in the quarterfinals, while Sekhukhune booked their place in the last four after a thrilling 4-3 extra-time victory over AmaZulu.
The match also comes at the start of a demanding period in which the two sides will meet three times in seven days. After Saturday’s cup encounter, they will face each other in a Betway Premiership fixture at Orlando Amstel Arena on Tuesday, August 25, before returning to Soweto for the MTN8 semifinal second leg four days later.
The Buccaneers head into the clash with a strong early-season record. They opened their league campaign with a 2-0 victory over Milford FC before drawing 1-1 with AmaZulu and subsequently beating Chippa United 3-0. They also defeated Durban City 2-1 after extra time in the MTN8 quarterfinal.
Sekhukhune, meanwhile, started their league campaign with a 1-0 victory over Durban City but suffered a 2-0 defeat to Kaizer Chiefs in their second match. They responded strongly, however, beating neighbours Polokwane City 2-0 in the Limpopo derby, with Tshepo Mokoane and Ngoanamello Rammala on the scoresheet.
That response has given Kaze confidence that his charges can compete with the defending champions.
“The response was good against Polokwane City, and I hope that Saturday we gonna have a positive attitude to know when to take the game to the opponent,” Kaze said.
Kaze also believes the attitude shown against Polokwane City will be crucial against Pirates. He was particularly unhappy with the approach in the defeat to Chiefs, saying his players had given their opponents too much space and respect.
Against Polokwane City, he saw a different mentality from his team.
“The difference was in the attitude, in the belief that we wanted to do something,” Kaze said.
The Sekhukhune coach knows the challenge facing his team is significant, particularly given Pirates’ experience in knockout football. He nevertheless wants Babina Noko to embrace the occasion and produce their best performance.
“We know how big is the mountain we need to climb, but we are preparing ourselves and want to compete. Starting on Saturday, for the first leg we need to be our best,” Kaze said.
Ouaddou, meanwhile, is equally determined to see Pirates emerge with a positive result from Polokwane.
The Moroccan coach has acknowledged that playing Sekhukhune away from home will not be easy, particularly on the compact Old Peter Mokaba Stadium pitch, but he insists the Buccaneers will not change their footballing principles.
“We just have to stick to our principles, our way of playing football. You know we are not too focused on the opponent, even when we study the opponent,” Ouaddou said.
He has also made it clear that Pirates’ objective is to keep their MTN8 crown.
“The game will not be easy because we are playing away against a very good Sekhukhune. We know all the games against Sekhukhune are very difficult, especially when you play on a small pitch. For us, definitely we want to keep the title,” Ouaddou said.
The head-to-head record gives Pirates a slight advantage, with the two teams having met 12 times across competitions. The Buccaneers have won six of those matches, Sekhukhune four, while two ended in draws. Pirates have also scored 15 of the 25 goals recorded in those encounters.
However, Sekhukhune have proved to be a difficult opponent for Pirates in recent meetings, making Saturday’s clash even more intriguing.
The first leg will therefore be about more than simply winning. Both coaches will be conscious that a strong result in Polokwane could provide a crucial advantage before the teams meet again in Soweto.
The second leg is scheduled for Saturday, August 29, at Orlando Amstel Arena, with kick-off also set for 3pm.
With the two teams also due to meet in the league between the two semifinal legs, Saturday’s encounter is the beginning of a remarkable three-match battle that could have a major bearing on both clubs’ early-season ambitions.