TELKOM KNOCKOUT CUP FINAL
War of the coaches
“IT is like putting your shoes on and leaving your laces untied,” is Roger de Sa’s diagnosis of the Orlando Pirates profligacy in front of goals.
It is a disease the Pirates coach and his Caf Champions League finalists must find a cure for if they wish to banish their 2013 cup final curse on Saturday and, in keeping with De Sa’s analogy, stop tripping over their laces.
In a space of three months, Pirates have twice fallen at the final hurdle in cup competitions in the country and continent, losing 4-2 on penalties to Platinum Stars in September and 3-1 on aggregate to Al Ahly last month.
Saturday’s Telkom Knockout Cup contest against Stars presents Pirates with a shoelace-tying exercise.
The Sea Robbers will see the signposts leading to Mbombela reading revenge as the memory of defeat to Dikwena in the MTN8 final is still vivid.
But De Sa is not livid. He harbours hopes of third time lucky.
“I’m not delighted [at losing two finals] but I’m satisfied that we know the way to the finish line. The next step is to push for first place on the podium. It’s got to be third time lucky for us.”
In order to strike gold De Sa’s frontline will have to add finesse to
A one-for-all and all-for-one spirit is the bedrock the Platinum Stars ethic is built on
their finishing unless they are hellbent on being synonymous with silver medals.
“Goals make the game. Against Maritzburg United (in PSL action on Wednesday night) we had two chances all match, converted one and won 1-0,” says De Sa. “But I remember we played AmaZulu and created about 10, never scored and lost.
“Strikers have to become specialists, be clinical, like assassins with precision and be more serious about their job.”
To this end, Lennox Bacela has been the fox in the box for Bucs, the TKO’s top scorer with five goals under his belt. But such is the nature of football that scoring is not the exclusive job of strikers, a point Pirates proved when their midfield militant duo of Oupa Manyisa and Andile Jali each scored when they eliminated SuperSport United 2-1 in the semis.
Sharing scoring duties is an art form Stars have made second nature.
All of Henrico Botes, Mduduzi Nyanda, Mogakolodi Ngele, Robert Ngambi and Thabiso Semenya have hit the bulls eye in the march to the final. A one-for-all and all-for-one spirit is the bedrock the Stars ethic is built on and has seen them claim the scalps of the so-called big guns.
It is a strength they will seek to exploit to prove that September’s MTN8 success was no accident.
They are happy being clothed in the underdog garb in search of their second piece of silverware of the season.
Coach Allan Freese, spoke reluctantly after initially arguing that his focus was on yesterday’s league meeting with Lamontville Golden Arrows. Freese has warned his boys to beware of a Bucs backlash.
“They know that they can’t be stupid and say Pirates are gonna get caught like they were the last time. We will look at the strategy and the approach. But for now we want to focus on Arrows.”
Freese’s personality is a breath of fresh air in soccer — humility personified. His head is not swollen from the success in his maiden season as the main man in charge.
“I guess it enhances my reputation. I’m happy for that as I’m growing as a person. It isn’t about me though. I don’t play. I’m privileged to be the leader of the group. But we always strategise, find the best way and approach together. We’re a united team.”
Hungry for his first trophy with Pirates in his second season, De Sa hopes his side will tie their laces in Mbombela.
The stadium with zebra-coloured seats was the scene of success when they last played a final there, beating Black Leopards 3-1 to clinch the Nedbank Cup in 2011, in their first historic treble season.