De Sa warns Bucs not to concede at home in final

AJAX CAPE TOWN coach Roger de Sa has offered Orlando Pirates some valuable advice as they head into the first leg of the CAF Confederations Cup final against Tunisia’s Etoile du Sahel at the Orlando Stadium in Soweto on Saturday.

De Sa was the coach of Pirates when he steered them to the final of the African Champions League a few seasons ago.

The Buccaneers would eventually lose narrowly over the two legs to legendary Egyptian club Al Ahly, but it was an experience that benefited De Sa, pictured, as a coach.

“The most important thing in such a final, especially in continental competitions, is not to concede at home,” the Urban Warriors boss said.

“A clean sheet is key. A win is a bonus, but the main point is to try not to concede. The thing with such opposition is that they keep it tight when they play away, but they open up when they are at home. And with Pirates’ attacking threat, when teams open up at home, they could punish them.”

Current Pirates coach Eric Tinkler was De Sa’s assistant during that Champions League run – and he will be well aware of what is needed.

“It has been a fantastic achievement to get this far in the competition, but it will mean very little if we don’t bring the trophy home,” Tinkler said.

“The mindset of Pirates is to always do well in Africa… and I’m extremely proud of the fact that we managed to get to the final. It’s been a long and hard journey.

“We’ve played many big-name teams on the continent and we’ve come through with flying colours.”– Rodney Reiners