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ORLANDO Pirates are tired of silver and are aiming for gold in the Telkom Knockout soccer series, coach Roger de Sa said yesterday.
“At Pirates, the supporters want you to win everything,” he said.
“We’re tired of silver, we want some gold. We’re disappointed that we haven’t won.”
Pirates return to domestic action for the first time in almost a month after winning two silver medals in two major Cup competitions this season.
The team made it to the final of the Caf Champions League, where it was beaten by Egyptian club Al Ahly in a two-legged final earlier this month.
Prior to their defeat to the North African giants, Pirates lost out to Platinum Stars in the final of the MTN8 tournament, leaving De Sa hungry for Cup success.
Their African campaign has kept the Soweto side absent on the local front, but De Sa said nothing had changed in his team’s mentality, adding that Pirates were looking to carry the momentum of the Champions League into their Knockout clash.
“We just want to carry on exactly the same way. We want to keep the momentum going. It’s good to be back in the country,” De Sa said.
“We believe that we did a pretty good job in Africa and we want to continue that form.”
Matsatsantsa, meanwhile, have already claimed wins over Moroka Swallows and Ajax Cape Town ahead of their semi-final meeting, and coach Cavin Johnson believed playing Pirates brought an added incentive for his troops.
“It’s normal, when you play against Orlando Pirates, the hype among the players is that much higher,” Johnson said.
“We’re prepared for Saturday. We’ve taken note of the tactical awareness that’s been taking place at Pirates.
“As coaches, we all strive for silverware. Whoever plays the best football on the day will win the match, and whoever plays the best football in the tournament will win it.”-Supersport.
Online Reporter