New beginning for top rivals

Past is the past as Bucs, SuperSport go back to Mbombela

THE 6-1 drubbing is in the past‚ so Orlando Pirates and SuperSport United start anew in tomorrow’s Telkom Knockout semifinal at the Mbombela Stadium‚ both coaches said at yesterday’s pre-match media conference.

SuperSport and Pirates return to Mbombela‚ venue of one of the more famous results in recent South African football history‚ where Matsatsantsa put six past Bucs to equal the Soweto giants’ record scoreline in a defeat.

That result on November 1 was so dramatic that it put paid to previous Bucs coach Muhsin Ertugral’s fourmonth tenure – he resigned by e-mail early the next morning.

Ertugral’s successor‚ Augusto Palacios‚ and his SuperSport counterpart Stuart Baxter both said that result was in the past for their teams.

“I think this is another game,” Palacios said. “It’s [not] about revenge.

“I think people interpret different aspects about it. We know about the responsibility of this game.

“We know about SuperSport – not only the players but also the coach. We prepare according to the game.

“The game is to play with 11 players‚ and with a winning mentality from the players.

“For Pirates, it’s not about the Telkom or the PSL – it’s a game. A game where we need to go and play properly against a difficult opponent.

“The past is the past. It’s another new page‚ and another new game.”

Baxter echoed that sentiment: “Anything that’s happened in the past is history.

“We did very well on that day [in the 6-1 win]. But Orlando Pirates are always a formidable opposition.

“We’re going to have to play very well if we want to win this tie.

“The fact that we’re at home – I’m not sure that matters that much. It’s an away game for us at the Mbombela Stadium – we have to travel as well.

“We enjoy playing there. But I still think we’re going to need a good performance to beat Orlando Pirates‚ because they have the tradition‚ the culture, the players and the setup to beat anybody in the country.”

Meanwhile, the biggest question for Cape Town City coach Eric Tinkler ahead of tomorrow’s semifinal at home to Free State Stars is how to reorganise his defence with two stalwarts suspended for the game.

City won a sixth match in a row in all competitions when they defeated Maritzburg United 3-2 in the league at the same Athlone Stadium that will be used this weekend.

But it came at a cost with the suspension of his first-choice centreback duo of Tsepo Gumede and Robyn Johannes‚ leaving Tinkler to find a totally new combination.

The two specialist centre-backs left in the squad‚ Renars Rode and Joseph Adjei‚ have barely played in the past month and Tinkler has hinted at one of them starting.

“Tsepo and Robyn have been doing extremely well. Obviously [losing] them both in the same match creates a bit of a problem‚” Tinkler said. “But we have options. It’s just about us making the right decision in terms of what option we go with.

“Also, what’s important is to sit with the team and explain how important it is that whoever comes in‚ we must support them 100%.

“We have 120 minutes of football to win the game and whoever that person is might struggle to last 120 minutes because they haven’t played a lot. We need to be there to back them up.”

Tinkler has spoken all season about avoiding relegation as the team’s No 1 target this campaign.

But with the side already having reached 20 points‚ he admits that they can start looking at other targets.

“We have come off a very good run of results and we want to take this game extremely seriously because it is another opportunity to get to a final.”

Tinkler said they could only look on their campaign as a success if they could grab a trophy.

“People judge success by trophies won‚ not [that] you got to semis.

“I have been in many semis and many finals‚ but what is more important is trophies won.”

He confirmed that the players would receive their share of the prize money if City go on to lift the trophy.

“The incentive is there – half the prize money is theirs‚” the coach said.

We’re going to have to play very well if we want to win this tie