By KOPANO MONAHENG
EVERYONE is looking forward to the MTN 8 quarter-final clash between defending champions Orlando Pirates and Durban City FC this Saturday.
The last time these two teams met, they played to a goalless draw in a Betway Premiership match that almost saw Pirates lose the league title to Mamelodi Sundowns. But this time it’s a different ball game. It’s no longer about league points – it’s knockout football. Win and you continue. Lose and you’re out.
The build-up to this match has already gone to another level after Durban City captain Sphamandla Ncanana made headlines by saying, “Pirates is just a name.” Those comments didn’t sit well with the entire Orlando Pirates family, who feel the skipper disrespected one of the biggest brands in South African football.
Speaking to the media during the MTN 8 draw in Randburg on Wednesday evening, Ncanana said his side is ready for the challenge. When asked to respond to the statement he made last season that, “Pirates is just a name” this is what he said:
“It’s not that we don’t respect Pirates, we really do. Pirates is a big team in South Africa and in that statement I did mentioned that when a referee blows his whistle it’s 11 against 11 on the pitch and that’s how I am motivating myself and my team,” said the skipper.
He knows that it won’t be an easy game at all facing Pirates in Orlando Amstel Arena on Saturday 3pm, especially after uttering those words. But according to Ncanana, they are more than ready for a tough battle. “I heard people saying it’s difficult (Esgodini), unfortunately we have been there last season and returned home with a point. So it’s possible that we can come up with win if we are determined. We have a very good coach and we are adapting very well in his style of play and we are coming alright as a team,” he said.
Now the stage is set for what promises to be one of the biggest matches of the weekend. This is the game every football fan in Mzansi will be talking about. “Winning the Nedbank Cup last season was a motivation for us, because we believe that we can also win the MTN 8 Cup. We want to win one trophy per season including Confedaration Africaine de Football (CAF). I can say we are underdogs but we will try win there.”
It’s do-or-die. Durban City will be looking to rub salt into Pirates’ wounds, while the Buccaneers will be out to remind everyone exactly who they are. With emotions already running high before a ball has even been kicked, one thing is certain – expect fireworks when these two sides lock horns on Saturday afternoon.
Orlando Pirates are willing to do anything they could to defend their cup by winning it five consecutive years. “I think it’s going to be a confidence booster that we started with the win. We are back at home in Esgodini. You know, it has been a fortress for us for the past seasons,” said Pirates captain Nkosinathi Sibisi.
