With Tshepo
Orlando Pirates coach Micho Sredojevic (right) won’t take their Telkom Knockout final defeat at the hands of Baroka FC as a setback and wants his charges to bounce back stronger.
Bakgaga spoiled the night for Sredojevic’s men and the Bucs faithful when they emerged as 3-2 winners in the penalty shoot-out to go on and lift their first trophy in the PSL at Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium on Saturday, extending Bucs’ trophy drought that started after winning the 2014 Nedbank Cup.
Having missed out on the TKO title, Pirates are looking to redeem themselves in other competitions, starting with tonight’s Absa Premiership clash with Free State Stars at Goble Park in Bethlehem.
“We are still in three competitions, the Nedbank Cup, the PSL (Premiership and the Caf Champions League. We lost on penalties in the MTN8 against SuperSport United and again, here (Telkom Knockout),” said Sredojevic.
“However, it is not about how hard you have been hit, it is about how strong you are to stand up and move on. We already have a chance to do that on Tuesday in our game against Free State Stars in the league. It serves as a chance and a bridge heading into our next Champions League game next Saturday.”
The loss to Baroka might have been disappointing for the Pirates coach, but he went on to praise his charges for their fighting spirit, especially after Marshall Munetsi’s red card and he says their display on that night gives him confidence that they can go on and win their next matches.
“We need to pick up the pieces. It is very unfortunate that we reached the brink of lifting the trophy, but we have not,” he added. “However, I believe the effort and approach of the players, playing like lions in human shape on the field with a player less and giving their all on the field will serve as a motivation to show that we are ... able to continue working hard in times ahead of us, looking to make our supporters happy.”
The Buccaneers will head into this tie with the intention of stretching their lead at the top of the table. Benni McCarthy’s Cape Town City hope to get back to winning ways when they host Chippa United at the Athlone Stadium tonight.
City lost their previous game 2-0 to Highlands Park, which ended a three-game winning streak. They had previously beaten AmaZulu FC at home, which was followed by another win at home against Black Leopards and an away victory at Polokwane City.
City are eighth in the standings with 16 points, with four wins, four draws and four losses in 12 games.
They should be confident of getting back to winning ways against the Chilli Boys, who have been struggling. They recently fired coach Eric Tinkler and now have former Black Leopards coach Joel Masutha at the helm.
The Eastern Cape outfit are second-from-bottom with 10 points from 12 games. They have only recorded two wins, four draws and six losses.
Masutha will be hoping to hit the ground running at the club, and has plenty of experience to call on in the likes of Mark Mayambela, Daine Klate and Thabo Nthethe to mention a few. However, the Chilli Boys last won a game back in October when they beat Free State Stars 1-0 at home.
I go for a home win for Cape Town City.