Royal AM out to end Pirates' MTN8 hopes

Royal AM will be looking to mark their debut appearance in the MTN8 with a win over Orlando Pirates at the Chatsworth Stadium in Durban on Saturday.

Kick-off is at 6pm CAT (SA, GMT+2).

Thwihli Thwahla breathed a sigh a of relief when they claimed a 1-0 win over Maritzburg United at home on Wednesday as they ended their three-match winless run in the DStv Premiership.

The KwaZulu-Natal side is making its debut appearance in the MTN8 having finished third in the DStv Premiership last season which was the club's first-ever campaign in the top flight.

Khabo Zondo, the Royal AM head coach, warned Pirates about being overconfident as the Buccaneers defeated Thwihli Thwahla 1-0 in a league game in Durban on17 August.

“Firstly, it should not be like we are looking for revenge. We are going to plan well against Pirates for the MTN8,” Zondo said.

“I hope they don’t come here being overconfident that they beat us last time. We are going to plan and make sure that all the correct all the mistakes that we made on that day”

“I was a little bit worried about how we gave the ball away. We can never do that against clubs like Pirates. We need to work hard on that tactical discipline and decision-making."

Meanwhile, Pirates stretched their unbeaten run to three matches in the DStv Premiership when they secured a 1-0 win over Marumo Gallants at home on Wednesday.

The Buccaneers won the MTN8 in 2020 and it remains the last time the Soweto giants won a major title. Having won the competition 10 times, Bucs will be keen to go all the way this season.

Jose Riveiro, the Pirates head coach, stated that his charges cannot afford to look beyond Royal AM and also added that they can only start dreaming of winning the trophy once they overcome Thwihli Thwahla.

“It’s four games to have a chance to get a trophy, so we are going to try and make the first step but I am not thinking about the semifinals or beyond," Riveiro said.

“We have to do a good job on Saturday. If we have a bad day there, then we are out. I am not thinking of the possibility of winning trophies. We all have dreams and wishes.

"But we must focus on the facts and the facts are we must beat Royal Am to continue the competition and then we can dream of that possibility. If we have the right and if we deserve to be there (in the MTN8 final), we have to do it on Saturday first.”

ROYAL AM: PLAYERS TO WATCH

Andre de Jong: The New Zealand international has been one of the standout performers in the DStv Premiership this term having grabbed an assist against Maritzburg. De Jong could be the man to propel Royal AM to a win over Pirates.

Sera Motebang: The Lesotho international was the hero for Thwihli Thwahla in midweek as he scored the winning goal against Maritzburg and he will be hoping to find the back of the net once again when he faces the Buccaneers.

ORLANDO PIRATES: PLAYERS TO WATCH

Paseka Mako: The influential left-sided player marked his first appearance of the season with a good display against Gallants - scoring the only goal of the match. Mako could be key to a Pirates win in KwaZulu-Natal.

Zakhele Lepasa: The hard-running forward impressed with his work rate in midweek - getting himself in good positions, but he was let down by some poor finishing. Lepasa will be keen to take his chances against Royal AM.