David up against Goliath

ASSISTANT COACH: WE AIM TO DO THIS FOR THE CHAIRMAN AND THE PEOPLE

Pirates, however are bang in form ahead of big final.

Today’s Telkom Knockout final clash between Baroka FC and Orlando Pirates at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium will be very special to whoever wins.

For the Limpopo-based outfit, reaching the final alone is a step in the right direction for a team that was only formed 13-years ago. Since their arrival in the PSL, Bakgaga have been exciting to watch despite facing some obstacles and reaching the final in top-flight football for the first time will be something that will forever live in the club’s folklore.

The Soweto giants, meanwhile, have gone through a slump in the past few years – last winning a trophy back in 2014.

The Buccaneers, however, have made a huge improvement in the last two seasons and they should be confident of lifting a trophy which they have only won once – back in 2011.

Pirates head into this final on the back of sealing their spot in the next round of the Caf Champions League after beating LightStars 3-1 in the return leg in Seychelles to advance to the next stage on an 8-2 aggregate following their 5-1 victory in the first leg.

In their last three games, Bucs have scored eight goals, but Baroka assistant coach Bushy Moloi is adamant his players will be able to stop Bucs from finding the back of the net if they play as a unit.

“We have to work as a unit. We will only be able to stop them if we continue to play as a unit like we have been doing all along. We will also be able to display our talent and abilities because we are a solid team,” said Moloi.

“The chairman would be so excited if we won the trophy and so will all the people from Limpopo. So we aim to do this for the chairman and the people.”

Pirates coach Micho Sredojevic is likely to resort to his regular players, having rested them in their previous game. But he will certainly be looking for consistency in performance and a positive result as they aim to end the year on a high.

“I believe that in the times ahead of us we shall get better. We are expecting five matches prior to the Christmas break and we are looking to end 2018 in the best possible way,” said the Bucs coach.

Bucs will be hoping in-form winger Thembinkosi Lorch continues his golden form in the TKO to help clinch the Cup. The winger is the competition’s top scorer with three goals, while Baroka will be looking on Talent Chawapiwa to inspire the team to glory with his brilliance.

Also see Page 46