Orlando Pirates coach Abdeslam Ouaddou believes the club’s record of winning the past four MTN8 finals could give them a psychological advantage against Mamelodi Sundowns in Saturday’s decider at Moses Mabhida Stadium (18:00).
Pirates are seeking a fifth successive MTN8 title, but Ouaddou insists their recent success will not be enough on its own. He said his players would need determination, discipline and the courage to compete in a final if they are to retain the trophy.
“It’s a different game, different era. You have to prepare for it with a lot of ambition and seriousness,” Ouaddou told reporters at Rand Stadium yesterday.
“These things [referring to winning the last four editions of the MTN8] can help mentally, but the reality will be the match itself and how we attack the match.”
The Pirates coach said the final would ultimately be decided by the performance of the two teams on the day, rather than by their previous achievements in the competition.
“I think it can help us psychologically, but at the end of the day it’s two teams 11v11, so you need fighting spirit,” he added.
“Winning a cup final requires more than tactics … sometimes you have to go a little bit deeper and play with a strong heart. There’s a big difference between a cup game and a league game.”
Pirates have spent most of their preparations without 12 important players, who were involved with their national teams or the South Africa Under-23 side.
Deon Hotto represented Namibia, while Ghampani Lungu was away with Zambia. Sipho Chaine, Lebone Seema, Nkosinathi Sibisi, Kamogelo Sebelebele, Tshepang Moremi, Oswin Appollis and Yanela Mbuthuma were part of the Bafana Bafana squad during the recent Fifa break, which only concludes today.
Camran Dansin, Mpho Padime and Simphiwe Selepe were with the South Africa Under-23 team.
Only Lungu of those 12 players attended Pirates’ training yesterday. The Bafana Bafana players are expected to rejoin the squad tomorrow, while Hotto and the players who were with the Under-23s are believed to be returning today.
Despite the disruption, Ouaddou said the absence of so many players for almost three weeks had not seriously undermined the team’s work ahead of the final.
“As usual, we are preparing for this game with a lot of videos of the opponent to fully understand their strengths and weaknesses to make sure everyone knows how we should play on the day,” he said.
“We’ve had around two weeks to prepare for this game. Of course, we miss some of our international players like many other teams, but at least the rhythm and focus have been top-notch.”
