It’s tricky and very dangerous Crystal Lake v Orlando Pirates
Tshepang Mailwane: Orlando Pirates officially got to know who their Nedbank Cup Last 32 opponents are earlier this week. How much of an effect do you think that will have on them, considering they would not have had much time to gather information on Crystal Lake FC?
Patrick Malokase: It’s always going to be tricky, especially when you are playing against somebody you do not know. They have not had a lot of time to get to know more about their opponents. The danger is that when you play against the lower division opponents, they do not need any motivation, especially when it’s a big side like Orlando Pirates. They will be motivated, and Pirates may not know much about what they have been up to and what they are about. It’s tricky and very dangerous. We’ve seen before how lower division teams come to kill the big teams. Pirates have experienced that before with Maluti FET College, so it’s dangerous and they need to be on the lookout.
TM: We often refer to that Maluti defeat as Bucs’ biggest upset in the competition, but they have not had too many compared to rivals Kaizer Chiefs. Why is this the case?
PM:
I think they have their mentality right and I believe that was a turning point. I believe that every season when they have to play against a lower division side, they get reminded or they remind themselves about that upset against Maluti. One thing that’s a plus is that being a professional side playing against a lower division side, you always have an advantage because of your technical and tactical ability. It’s always better than that of a lower division side. If you can apply yourself correctly and be professional in everything that you do on the day, then you always have a good chance of winning the game with ease.
TM: In a match like this, do you think coach Jose Riveiro has the luxury of making wholesale changes and playing some of the fringe players to give them game-time?
PM: Honestly, I would not do that if I was him. I would not give fringe players an opportunity for a game like this, especially against an opponent you might not know really well. I’d go all out with a full squad. I would go out with the best XI that has been playing regularly because you don’t want to find yourself with guys who are not match-fit. Being a fringe player does not mean you are a bad player, but you have to have match fitness and all of that. So, it’s always best to have guys who have been playing to start these kinds of games. It’s important for the coach to do that, just to put yourself on the safe side. You can lead comfortably during the game and then you can look at giving other guys a chance to play as substitutes in the second half.
TM: How much pressure is there on the Soweto giants, being defending champions and all?
PM:
Honestly, there is always pressure at Pirates. Every game, whether it’s a league or a cup, you have to win it because you are a big team as Pirates. You are always playing in front of a crowd of people and you have too many supporters across the nation, so you have pressure all the time to deliver. You need to satisfy all the millions of people, so it’s pressure on its own. I believe that every player who plays for Pirates understands that and they apply themselves accordingly in every game that they play. This is obviously the type of game where they have to deliver.
TM: In a world where there is a lot of technology, do you think Pirates wouldn’t have gotten some information on their opponents? PM:
It might be a bit difficult because the team plays in the ABC Motsepe League. If it was a National First Division (Motsepe Foundation Championship) team, then I would say ‘by all means’. This would have been a lot easier because you can get their games and you have their footage. But when you play against a team lower than that, it’s very difficult. I know on my side, I am currently leading an ABC Motsepe League team as a chairperson. When I got there,
I started coming up with ways to analyse the game and how to take videos and all of that because it was not there. I don’t think most of the teams have that ability. They don’t have the resources to come out with that and have footage for themselves, so it would be difficult for a team like Pirates to get that information. So, it depends on who you play against. For Pirates, it’s going to be difficult because I don’t think there is much that they know or that they have seen of their opponents.
TM: As someone who is now involved in the ABC Motsepe League, what can your former side more or less expect from a team likeCrystalLakeFC?
PM:
ABC Motsepe League teams are quite competitive. These days, they have good personnel in the technical teams. They have guys who have played the game, and they have experience, so it will always be tricky. Yes, most of them are fairly young and maybe not as experienced to play big games, but it’s always tricky because they always play to impress, especially when it’s against big teams as they aspire to be up there. It’s difficult, but at the same time Pirates is a big club and they are expected to win. They know that they have to win and I believe they will do so.
TM: Can the underdogs take any comfort from their home advantage in this encounter?
PM:
I don’t think it really matters because I believe some of those players are Pirates supporters. You know that Pirates have supporters all over the country, so I believe they will be playing against a team with supporters who support Pirates. Pirates will have more support on the day.
TM: With the league title almost out of reach this season, how much more important does this Nedbank Cup become for them to win?
PM:
The first thing is that they are the defending champions, so it’s pressure on its own. You don’t want to be the defending champions and get knocked out by a lower division team in the first round. So, they are under pressure. It’s important to want to make history by defending the cup. I believe that Pirates understand the situation and they will play with that in mind. If I was in their shoes and playing against a lower division team, I would double my efforts so that we can make a mark from the word go and pass on the message to every team that you are the defending champion.
TM: How much can the fans bank on the good run in cup competitions under Riveiro?
PM:
The coach has experience of winning trophies and this is a good thing for Pirates. I realised that when it comes to cup matches, he does well to go as far as possible. He is that type of coach and because he is coaching Pirates, it’s never an easy job. There is pressure on him as well not to disappoint, but his experience will be important. He should play his top troops and go out there to win the game.