As winning the Nedbank Cup and securing the coveted CAF Champions League berth for next term remain in Orlando Pirates’ sight, midfielder Thabang Monare has implied they fear thinking far too ahead could see them bottling the job.
Pirates’ bid to reclaim their second spot on the DStv Premiership table from SuperSport United will be put to another tricky test tomorrow when they host an indifferent Cape Town City side at Orlando Stadium (3pm). The Sea Robbers are also in the Nedbank Cup semifinals, where they will face bitter rivals Kaizer Chiefs on May 6.
“We don’t want to lose focus at all because that can jeopardise our chances of achieving our objectives. The only way to avoid losing focus at this stage is to take it one game at a time. Whenever we talk as a team these days, we place great emphasis on only thinking about the task at hand. Now our focus is on Cape Town City, nothing else. We will start thinking about the Nedbank Cup when we start the week of the game [against Chiefs],” Monare told Sowetan.
The Citizens managed to beat the Sea Robbers 2-1 in the league’s first round in Cape Town back in January. Monare reckons allowing City to complete a league double of them would mar the Buccaneers’ grandeur. Even so, the 33-year-old midfielder emphasised that they weren’t driven by revenge.
“We are a big team and we know that City will be determined to complete a double over us after beating us in Cape Town in the first round. We have to avoid losing to them again. A team of Pirates’ magnitude must not allow teams to complete doubles over them, so we must defend our dignity at all costs. We are not motivated by revenge but what is important to us is to win to maintain our momentum [they are on a four-game winning streak in the league],” Monare stated.
Today: Maritzburg v Richards Bay, Harry Gwala (7.30pm)
Tomorrow: Pirates v CPT City, Orlando (3pm); Galaxy v Royal, Mbombela (3pm); Stellenbosch v Swallows, Danie Craven (5.30pm)
Sunday: Sekhukhune v Chiefs, Peter Mokaba; SuperSport v AmaZulu, TUT (5.30pm)
Bucs intent on foiling City’s league double ambitions
‘We must defend our dignity at all costs’
Image: Philip Maeta
As winning the Nedbank Cup and securing the coveted CAF Champions League berth for next term remain in Orlando Pirates’ sight, midfielder Thabang Monare has implied they fear thinking far too ahead could see them bottling the job.
Pirates’ bid to reclaim their second spot on the DStv Premiership table from SuperSport United will be put to another tricky test tomorrow when they host an indifferent Cape Town City side at Orlando Stadium (3pm). The Sea Robbers are also in the Nedbank Cup semifinals, where they will face bitter rivals Kaizer Chiefs on May 6.
“We don’t want to lose focus at all because that can jeopardise our chances of achieving our objectives. The only way to avoid losing focus at this stage is to take it one game at a time. Whenever we talk as a team these days, we place great emphasis on only thinking about the task at hand. Now our focus is on Cape Town City, nothing else. We will start thinking about the Nedbank Cup when we start the week of the game [against Chiefs],” Monare told Sowetan.
The Citizens managed to beat the Sea Robbers 2-1 in the league’s first round in Cape Town back in January. Monare reckons allowing City to complete a league double of them would mar the Buccaneers’ grandeur. Even so, the 33-year-old midfielder emphasised that they weren’t driven by revenge.
“We are a big team and we know that City will be determined to complete a double over us after beating us in Cape Town in the first round. We have to avoid losing to them again. A team of Pirates’ magnitude must not allow teams to complete doubles over them, so we must defend our dignity at all costs. We are not motivated by revenge but what is important to us is to win to maintain our momentum [they are on a four-game winning streak in the league],” Monare stated.
Today: Maritzburg v Richards Bay, Harry Gwala (7.30pm)
Tomorrow: Pirates v CPT City, Orlando (3pm); Galaxy v Royal, Mbombela (3pm); Stellenbosch v Swallows, Danie Craven (5.30pm)
Sunday: Sekhukhune v Chiefs, Peter Mokaba; SuperSport v AmaZulu, TUT (5.30pm)
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