In yet another mouthwatering clash in the DStv Premiership this week, Sekhukhune United coach Brandon Truter believes his side can take advantage of a struggling Orlando Pirates outfit in the DStv Premiership this week.
Kick-off is at 7:30pm (SA, GMT+2)
With the tie scheduled to take place at the Orlando Stadium on Tuesday evening, the hosts will be hoping to overturn their recent run of negative results in the DStv Premiership.
Pirates are currently without a win in four matches across the board, which includes back-to-back defeats against Cape Town Spurs and Richards Bay FC.
The Buccaneers' last victory in the league came in the form of a 2-0 win against Cape Town Spurs on 20 October, which also happened to be their most recent win on home soil.
☠️ "Our approach is to go in with everything."
— Orlando Pirates (@orlandopirates) November 6, 2023
🎙 Assistant Coach | Sergio Almenara
🏆 #DStvPrem
⚽️ @orlandopirates vs @SekhukhuneFc
📆 Tuesday, 07 November 2023
🏟 Orlando Stadium
🕢 19h30
📺 SuperSport PSL
🎫 @TicketProSA 👉🏿 https://t.co/Qgbw3yjEjA
⚫⚪🔴⭐#OrlandoPirates… pic.twitter.com/On0COj3Ya0
When asked about getting stick from Bucs supporters over their recent form, coach Jose Riveiro mentioned that his side are focusing on doing well in their next encounter.
“I don’t have an opinion about the fans,” Riveiro said.
“Fans are fans, we lost today, they must be upset. Really? Are you sure they’re criticising the coach?
“Even if we win, the fans are going be upset because I didn’t play this player and I played the other one. Everybody has opinions in football, even you [journalists] guys.
“But there’s nothing I can do. The only thing we can do is sleep well, eat well and recover because on Tuesday we have to compete again.
“Tomorrow in the afternoon is minus 1, think about it. When we finish our training it will be minus 1 for us. We will try our best again.”
MIXED BAG OF RESULTS
Much like that of Pirates, Sekhukhune have also recorded a mixed bag of results recently.
Prior to their 4-2 penalty loss to TS Galaxy in the Carling Knockout Cup, Babina Noko only managed to bag one victory in their previous six matches in all competitions.
In the league, Sekhukhune are winless in their last four matches, which includes three defeats and one stalemate during this period.
While Pirates are currently 13th on the table, Sekhukhune linger in the 11th position, after accumulating 11 points from 10 matches played so far.
Pirates and Sekhukhune have already squared off this season, with Pirates recording a clinical 5-0 win over Babina Noko in the MTN8 quarterfinals in August.
With the upcoming tie in mind, coach Brandon Truter is hoping that his side can do better this time around.
“Pirates present a big opportunity... they are also a team that struggles at the moment. Our league form hasn’t been good either, so it’s two teams who’ll be cautious on Tuesday,” Truter said.
“We are going to Orlando and we have to be mindful that [we are facing] Pirates at home. [However] we have to stop the rot somewhere.”
“Last time we were in Orlando it was a nightmare for us, it was a massacre, so that also still sticks in the back of our minds. We want to go there and give a good account of ourselves and not get murdered like we did last time."
PLAYERS TO WATCH:
Orlando Pirates:
Karim Kimvuidi: With Pirates in need of a much-needed spark, Kimvuidi could well be the difference maker for his side this week. As a powerful and technical user of the ball, Kimvuidi has the ability to unlock defences with sheer ability.
Sekhukhune United:
Chibuike Ohizu: In facing a quality Pirates backline, Ohizu’s work rate and hard-running will no doubt come in handy on Tuesday night. Ohizu’s pace could cause the Buccaneers problems, especially if the home team opts to play a high-line.