Maybe the gods have decided…
On preparations for the Nedbank Cup match against Pirates
As a club, we are doing well, we don’t have any complaints or difficulties. The focus is on the field of play and how we finish the Motsepe Foundation Championship season because we only have nine matches remaining. We also have the Nedbank Cup match against Orlando Pirates to worry about. Focusing on two competitions at the same time is quite taxing for the players because it involves a lot of travelling and we are also in the Northern Cape. We try plan ahead as best as we can so that we can know the distance we will be travelling before making a decision on whether we should travel four days or two days before a match. For example, when we travel to Venda, we also set aside an extra day – it all depends on how far we travel and the conditions. We look at all those things before deciding how much time the players will need to recover. It’s also a nice opportunity to test the strength and the depth of the squad. The only downside is the travelling because of the effect that it has on the players. Other than that, we are happy that we find ourselves in a position where we play more football as a club. And now we have a big match against Pirates and we had an opportunity to watch their last two matches against Cape Town Spurs and Kaizer Chiefs. This is a big occasion because this is one of the biggest clubs in the country. We appreciate the opportunity and look forward to the occasion. But we are coming from a defeat against University of Pretoria, a loss that we wanted to avoid at all costs because we are at a stage where we are trying to build momentum towards the end of the season. As things stand, we still have an opportunity to gain automatic promotion to the DStv Premiership or get promoted via the play-offs. We will want to avoid another loss against Pirates. We are going to approach this match like any other match. Pirates is a big club, but on the field of play they are just another opposition team with XI players. We will approach this game by trying to make sure that our boys will give their best.
On how Bucs played against Chiefs
When Pirates played against Chiefs, we saw hunger, determination and unity. The way Pirates performed in the derby was pleasing to watch and this was one of the best derbies we have seen in terms of goals. Pirates played exactly the way we expected them to play. It showed us a few things that we need to work on in order to get our boys ready. It was also fortunate for us that they had to play against Chiefs, which is always a taxing game. So, we got to see the real Pirates because of the occasion. We had a good opportunity to look at a full-strength Pirates and we believe that we will be equally ready for Pirates and give them a run for their money. They are the defending champions of this competition and that is one thing we are taking into consideration. Winning this cup gives you a chance to play in African club competition football. This is not a competition they will be taking lightly because they want to win it again. There’s a lot at stake for both clubs and we don’t expect Pirates to come with a team that they do not believe is going to do the job on the day. We had a chat with our players about how we are going to approach the game and I can tell you, there is a positive feeling in the camp. This is an opportunity to make a name for our football club. Like I said, there is a lot at stake for both teams and we are ready for the opportunity that this occasion presents.
On the Nedbank Cup prize money
In our league, any extra money for the football club is appreciated and it helps the team to get better. The prize money offers an opportunity for us to better the institution that we are building as Hungry Lions. It give us an opportunity to explore other avenues that are involved in the running of a professional club. Yes, the prize money is important to us and we are looking to get as much as we can from the Nedbank Cup. We will try our best to go all the way because this is the biggest cup competition in the country. The prize money will be very helpful, it will definitely increase our chances of becoming one of the best football clubs in the country. I don’t know whether this is fate… We are playing against another team that has just beaten Chiefs. We also played against Milford FC a few days after they beat Chiefs in the Round of 32, and we won that match. Now are we playing against Pirates a week after they beat Chiefs. Maybe the football gods have decided to make Hungry Lions a team that wipes the tears from Chiefs, ha, ha, ha. Anything is possible in football and we have learned that it is about how you prepare for the game that is coming. But most importantly, it is about how you execute what you have prepared and planned on the day. We are not ruling ourselves out just because we are playing against the giants, we are going to compete and we are going to face every opponent the same way, regardless of who they are. We are competing in the Nedbank Cup, we are always looking to go to the next round. That is what Hungry Lions will be looking to do on Saturday. We have prepared adequately, especially at the stage where we are at in the league. You prepare to the best of your abilities.
On the priority between Nedbank Cup and promotion
We know that we are in the Round of 16 of the Nedbank Cup, but honestly speaking, our priority as a football club is getting promoted to the DStv Premiership. That is of paramount for our club and the province of Northern Cape. We are the first Northern Cape team to make it to the National First Division (Motsepe Foundation Championship), followed by Upington City. We bear the responsibility of being the first Northern Cape team to get into the DStv Premiership. Yes, promotion is important, but like I also said, we are also glad we are in the Nedbank Cup and we also need to respect it. We are looking to go to the next round. Our philosophy is to win every football match we participate in. We are known as an unorthodox team – that is what football administrators call us in the NFD because we are one of the teams that are difficult to predict, and that is because we have built a squad that will be able to carry the demands, the instructions and the preparations of the technical team. We are a team that plays on the front foot, but if need be or required for us to sit back and tire the opposition out, we can also do that. That also gives us a chance to play on the counter-attack. We try to be multifaceted so that it becomes impossible for the opposition to know what we are going to do next. We play mostly to the strength of the players that we have in the squad and the demands of the team that we are going to play. For example, in the Nedbank Cup we played against JDR Stars and that is a ball-playing team, they love to play with the ball more often, so you need to be defensively discipline and you also need to be able to attack.