Orlando Pirates assistant coach Sergio Almenara did not want to be drawn into whether the MTN8 final might potentially be their last game at the club if they lose to Mamelodi Sundowns on Saturday.
It might not be in the air, but the Pirates coaches led by Jose Riveiro are under enormous scrutiny as the team are not at their best at the moment, facing an unbeaten Sundowns in the Wafa Wafa Cup final.
With how things have gone about for Sundowns this season, even a madman on the street will not bet against them and also considering that Pirates have technically lost the last four matches in all competitions (they did beat Jwaneng Galaxy 1-0 in the CAF Champions League second leg qualifier before losing on penalties after the tie ended 1-1 on aggregate).
But they face a seemingly unstoppable machine in Sundowns that has almost a clean record with 14 wins in 15 matches in all competitions, easily gliding, unlike Pirates, to the group stages of the CAFCL without conceding a goal.
Almenara was asked if Pirates lose to Sundowns in the MTN8 final would this game potentially be their last?
“We are just feeling the happiness to be in the final, that’s all,” Almenara replied to iDiski Times.
As this question was late in the press conference, Almenara, who arrived with Riveiro at Pirates in June last year, said the past results won’t matter much because this is a do-or-die match.
“It’s the final,” said Almenara. “I think when you face a game like this, you don’t worry about what is happening before or after.
“You are just focusing on the preparation during the week on the training side, just trying to face the game as best as possible with the tools that you have in your hands.
“So no worry about previous results.”
Kick-off of the final at the Moses Mabhida Stadium on Saturday is at 18:00.
