“There’s always pressure when you train (coach) such a big club.
Struggling Orlando Pirates will meet Mamelodi Sundowns in the first leg of what has been termed the “final before the final” this weekend.
The two rivals will face off in an MTN8 semi final first leg clash at a sold-out Orlando Stadium on Saturday (kick-off is at 3pm).
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Pirates and Sundowns go into this encounter in Soweto on the back of conflicting midweek results. The Buccaneers lost away to Marumo Gallants in a Betway Premiership clash in Bloemfontein, while the Brazilians eased past AmaZulu at home in Pretoria, beating them 2-0.
Pirates coach Abdeslam Ouaddou is looking forward to this clash between the “bigest” clubs in Africa.
“It’s a very exciting moment for not only the players, but for the fans as well. A clash of the two biggest teams not only in South Africa, but on the continent as a whole. We’re excited and happy to play the game on Saturday and we hope to give a good show to all the supporters in South Africa,” Ouaddou told reporters during an MTN8 media conference at the PSL offices in Parktown on Thursday.
Pressure mounts for Ouaddou
Having suffered back-to-back defeats against Sekhukhune United and Gallants, going into the clash against Sundowns, Ouaddou admitted that he was under pressure to turn the club’s fortunes around.
“There’s always pressure when you train (coach) such a big club. Pressure is everywhere, but we have to transform that pressure and make it a positive pressure and we must give our best for our fans. We have to try to bring back the victories and the happiness,” said the Moroccan.
Pirates might be struggling in recent matches going into the clash against Sundowns at the Orlando Stadium, but recent cup matches between the sides suggest that the Buccaneers have a slight advantage over their rivals.
Cardoso ‘living’ for the present
Sundowns coach Miguel Cardoso, however, is not reading much into past matches between the sides, saying he is focusing on the future.
“I never look at the past, I live for the present in order to write for the future. I was not even here in South Africa when those cup matches were played between the teams,” said Cardoso.
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“It’s the first time I’m facing Pirates in a cup match. A team might be doing bad or worse going into this kind of match, but what happened in the past won’t count in this kind of match. The players themselves show different levels of playing in these kinds of games, What’s important on the day is that the team must show another level in order to win it,” added Cardoso.
