Cardoso outlines significance of FIFA break ahead of Pirates clash

Ex-Kaizer Chiefs defender Daniel Cardoso is banking on the FIFA break rest to overcome Orlando Pirates.

Cardoso faced Pirates several times in the Soweto Derby when he was still playing for Chiefs and the veteran defender knows what it takes to defeat the Buccaneers.

Sekhukhune lock horns with high-flying Pirates in a DStv Premiership encounter at the Peter Mokaba Stadium in Polokwane on Tuesday (17:00).

Babina Noko last played a competitive match on the 17th of September when they drew 1-1 against Stellenbosch.

However, Cardoso, who is one of the key players at Sekhukhune, believes that the international break helped the team to work on a few elements.

WHAT SEKHUKHUNE WORKED ON DURING FIFA BREAK

“The preparation has been well; the FIFA break has done us good,” Cardoso told the club’s department.

“It gave us time to work on few things, sharpen upfront because finishing has been a bit a down fall for us.

“We’ve been dominating in most of our games but in the final third we are just struggling to find goals.

“We’ve done some finishing drills during the FIFA break and we’ve also been leaking goals at the back,”

“We concede, stupid and silly goals from our own defensive errors, not that teams worked for their goals.

“I think the only team that worked for their goal was Stellenbosch; the rest of the teams it was just giveaways.

Cardoso added: “We had a good friendly during the break which I think helped us and prepared us mentally.

“I think the heat down here is going to be a big factor also; it’s a bit hotter down in Polokwane than it is in Joburg.

“So it’s gonna be an exciting game, I know Pirates are doing very well at the moment, they are on a high.

“We don’t want to get ahead of ourselves but you know when you play against one of the big three the mood changes, the boys know what’s at stake.

“They [players] know where we are lying at the moment; we need to get out of the bottom half,” concluded the former Bafana Bafana international, Cardoso.

The Limpopo-based side have only managed one victory, drawing three and losing times in eight games so far in the league.