Orlando Pirates and AmaZulu will have it all to play for when they do battle in the MTN8 final at the Moses Mabhida Stadium on Saturday evening.
The Buccaneers made their way to this stage of the tournament after they secured a 3-0 aggregate victory over Mamelodi Sundowns in the two-legged semi-final.
Usuthu, meanwhile, secured their progression to the final after they advanced on the away goal rule when the two-legged fixtures ended 1-1 on aggregate against Kaizer Chiefs.
Pirates coach Jose Riveiro said: “We are competitive people. We are not good losers, to be honest. So when we suffer a defeat like we did in our last game, obviously we want to get rid of that feeling as soon as possible.
“If we say that we want to be a different team on Saturday, we have to show it today… we don’t have to wait for Saturday. We are all not happy with the last result and the only way to get rid of that feeling is to compete again.
“It’s nice to start weeks like this with a cup final on the horizon. The players are full of motivation. Obviously, when you don’t get a good result you go deeper because you’re disappointed.
“We want to change the situation as soon as possible. We need to put more emphasis on small details in order to be the team we really want to be… it wasn’t possible to be in our element in the last match.”
Meanwhile, AmaZulu coach Romain Folz said: “I’m sure Orlando Pirates will enter the game with the clear mindset to be the best team on that day.
“I don’t think the game before plays a big part either for us or them. But for us, you might always argue that from a mental standpoint, it might give you an edge [since AmaZulu won] – I’m not sure about it, because we’ve got professional players and they will manage their emotions well.
“So you can go from one game to another without feeling the effect of the task not being completed in the first place on the previous game.
“I’m not sure that is going to be an element to consider going to the game. My only point and that was the message to the players going to this game, was, it was our last repetition before the final.”
In the last meeting between the two teams, things ended all square at 1-1 after an own goal by Veli Mothwa cancelled out Sphesihle Maduna’s 35th-minute penalty at the Orlando Stadium on 14 October 2022.
Jose Riveiro will have his entire squad fit and ready for the encounter, while Romain Folz is most likely to be without the services of the injured Lehlohonolo Majoro.
After failing to score in the Soweto derby, Monnapule Saleng will be relishing the chance to find the back of the net after he scored four goals in his last three matches across all competitions.
Gabadinho Mhango currently leads the scoring charts for AmaZulu and he will be hoping his experience can help fire his side to glory in the final.
Orlando Pirates’ (across all competitions) Form:
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AmaZulu’s (across all competitions) Form:
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