Pirates are wary of backlash by shaky Sfaxien

ORLANDO Pirates are not reading too much into CS Sfaxien’s shaky start in the Caf Confederation Cup group stages.

If playing on the continent has taught them anything it is that top clubs can never be ruled out of making comebacks after a slow start.

Two years ago Egyptian giants Al Ahly, who were in the same group as Pirates in the Champions League, failed to win their first two matches in group A but they bounced back.

Not only did they finish top of the group, they went on to win an unprecedented eighth title.

And Tunisian club Sfaxien, who are bottom of group B in this year’s Confederation Cup after a defeat and a draw, have all the experience in the world, having won the competition on three occasions – in 2007, 2008 and 2013.

The Buccaneers face Sfaxien in Sfax in their third group match on Sunday as they look to bounce back after a 2-1 defeat to Zamalek a fortnight ago at Mbombela Stadium.

“We must not be deceived just because Sfaxien are bottom of the table,” Pirates assistant coach Teboho Moloi said yesterday.

“After the loss to Zamalek we had to go back and look at how we behaved when we played in the Champions League [in 2013]. We were disciplined.

“We are competing in the group stages now and we need to remember that we are not playing against the teams we played in the knockout phase, the likes of Khaloum.

“We are playing against top African teams and we have to be tactically disciplined and at the same time we need to impose our game on the opponents.”

Moloi was assistant coach to Milutin Sredojevic when Pirates lost 1-0 on aggregate to Sfaxien in a Champions League semifinal clash in 2006.

He says not much has changed in terms of the way they play. “We have watched their matches in the Confederation Cup this year.

“From what we have gathered, they are not a different side to the team we played in 2006.

“They have kept the style, the system and culture. They are tactically sound.

“They know how to behave when they have the ball and when they do not have it. They understand what is needed from them in this tournament because they always qualify.”

Experienced Pirates defender Siyabonga Sangweni is back to bolster the team after missing the last game due to personal reasons.