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Five things Bucs must do to win

ORLANDO Pirates have earned the unwanted tag of being perennial cup bridesmaids due to their horrendous 2013-14 cup final record.

They have dropped three out of three and a fourth loss will cement the tag. If they are to beat Bidvest Wits tomorrow, here are five things they need to take care of:

1. Avoid penalty shootouts

Senzo Meyiwa is a beast when it comes to saving spot-kicks, but saving five consecutive ones is a different story. In the last cup final they played in Durban, the MTN8 against Platinum Stars, Pirates did everything right in the game part from getting the job done in the 120 minutes and they were punished.

In the semifinal against Kaizer Chiefs, Moeneeb Josephs also rolled back the years with a virtuoso performance for Wits in the shootout. In the four finals that Pirates won in two seasons, only one of them, the 2010-11 MTN8 final, went to penalties.

2. Take the game by the scruff of the neck

As Chiefs coach Vladimir Vermezovic won a cup final in every season despite his inability to win the league. In those finals, his teams were ruthless, something he has to inculcate in a Pirates unit that knows how to get to finals without actually sealing the deal. There have been shades of ruthlessness, especially in the semifinal against Maritzburg United, but finals are a different story.

3. Do not concede late goals

Late goals killed Pirates in their Telkom Knockout Cup final loss to Stars. The Buccaneers seemed content to sit on their lead, not realising that one goal often leads to two.

Wits also showed against Chiefs that they are a resilient unit, a trait of teams coached by Gavin Hunt. Should they take a late lead, they do not look like a team that will relinquish it.

4. Take the chances when they come

Had Pirates buried two early chances against Al Ahly in the second leg of the CAF Champions League final, they would have come back as African champions. Their team contributions in terms of goals have got them to the final but that does not mean they are accurate in the final third. Out of the top eight teams, Pirates scored the fewest goals, with only 30 in 30 matches.

5. Keep the Wits midfield quiet

Pirates have adjusted to life without Andile Jali but the manner in which Sibusiso Vilakazi and company bossed the much-vaunted Chiefs engine room must be a source of worry for Vermezovic. Pirates had the freedom of the park against the Team of Choice, but they are a naturally defensive team. Wits are a different entity altogether with their quick counterattacking, and they will expose a midfield that does not close down space very quickly. However, that is something Pirates have been good at.

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