WHEN they step out on to the field to take on Ajax Cape Town at Orlando Stadium on Saturday night Orlando Pirates will want to exorcise the ghosts of their last match at the venue.
Against all odds, the Buccaneers succumbed 1-0 to Mpumalanga Black Aces for their first defeat of the season. And while last weekend's 1-0 win against Lamontville Golden Arrows in the Telkom Knockout may have healed some wounds, Ajax will present them with a much sterner test.
Nobody knows how difficult a job Pirates are facing better than Clifford "Robot" Ngobeni who played most of his football for the Urban Warriors. The midfielder, who is slowly making the central midfield position his own, warned his teammates to fully concentrate against his former club.
"They are going to come at us relentlessly because coach Foppe (de Haan) likes his team to play attacking football. So we'll have to be more organised and cut off the supply to their strikers because they could hurt us," Ngobeni said.
He admits that he had little "inside information" to share with his teammates and the Bucs technical team because he didn't play with most of the players in the current Ajax set-up.
But Thulani Serero is one of the players he played with and Ngobeni reckons he is the one who will pose the most danger to Bucs.
"He is a great player and we are obviously going to have to keep an eye on the whole team, but I think we must watch him closely," he said.
Ngobeni admits that their loss to Aces was due to them being "too relaxed and thinking we'd won", but he said they'll change their attitude against Ajax who are second on the log with the possibility of going top, if other results go their way.
Bucs' assistant coach Craig Rosslee will also be facing his former club.
Head coach Rudi Krol, Rosslee and their charges will do well not to underestimate their opponents.
Weekend Premiership fixtures:
TOMORROW
Newlands: Vasco da Gama vs Mamelodi Sundowns (8pm)
SATURDAY
Moruleng: Platinum Stars vs Maritzburg United (3.30pm); Goble Park: Free State Stars vs Black Aces (3.30pm); Dobsonville: Moroka Swallows vs Bloem Celtic (3.30pm);
Athlone: Santos vs AmaZulu (6pm);
Orlando: Pirates vs Ajax (8.15pm)
SUNDAY
Lucas Moripe: SuperSport United vs Kaizer Chiefs (3.30pm) and Chatsworth: Lamontville Golden Arrows vs Bidvest Wits (3.30pm).
Can Bucs exorcise ghosts?
WHEN they step out on to the field to take on Ajax Cape Town at Orlando Stadium on Saturday night Orlando Pirates will want to exorcise the ghosts of their last match at the venue.
Against all odds, the Buccaneers succumbed 1-0 to Mpumalanga Black Aces for their first defeat of the season. And while last weekend's 1-0 win against Lamontville Golden Arrows in the Telkom Knockout may have healed some wounds, Ajax will present them with a much sterner test.
Nobody knows how difficult a job Pirates are facing better than Clifford "Robot" Ngobeni who played most of his football for the Urban Warriors. The midfielder, who is slowly making the central midfield position his own, warned his teammates to fully concentrate against his former club.
"They are going to come at us relentlessly because coach Foppe (de Haan) likes his team to play attacking football. So we'll have to be more organised and cut off the supply to their strikers because they could hurt us," Ngobeni said.
He admits that he had little "inside information" to share with his teammates and the Bucs technical team because he didn't play with most of the players in the current Ajax set-up.
But Thulani Serero is one of the players he played with and Ngobeni reckons he is the one who will pose the most danger to Bucs.
"He is a great player and we are obviously going to have to keep an eye on the whole team, but I think we must watch him closely," he said.
Ngobeni admits that their loss to Aces was due to them being "too relaxed and thinking we'd won", but he said they'll change their attitude against Ajax who are second on the log with the possibility of going top, if other results go their way.
Bucs' assistant coach Craig Rosslee will also be facing his former club.
Head coach Rudi Krol, Rosslee and their charges will do well not to underestimate their opponents.
Weekend Premiership fixtures:
TOMORROW
Newlands: Vasco da Gama vs Mamelodi Sundowns (8pm)
SATURDAY
Moruleng: Platinum Stars vs Maritzburg United (3.30pm); Goble Park: Free State Stars vs Black Aces (3.30pm); Dobsonville: Moroka Swallows vs Bloem Celtic (3.30pm);
Athlone: Santos vs AmaZulu (6pm);
Orlando: Pirates vs Ajax (8.15pm)
SUNDAY
Lucas Moripe: SuperSport United vs Kaizer Chiefs (3.30pm) and Chatsworth: Lamontville Golden Arrows vs Bidvest Wits (3.30pm).
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