Orlando Pirates head coach Jose Riveiro has called for a passionate performance from his players as he seeks his first win over Kaizer Chiefs in the Nedbank Cup semifinals on Saturday.
Kick-off is at 3pm CAT (SA, GMT+2)
Riveiro has been on the losing end against Amakhosi twice this season after they recorded the league double over the Buccaneers following 1-0 wins both home and away.
In fact, the Glamour Boys' dominance in the Soweto derby stretches back five games, with their arch-rivals having last tasted victory on 30 January 2021 in the DStv Premiership.
Riveiro has already claimed a trophy on his debut season at Mayfair after guiding Pirates to the MTN 8 title in November and he wants his team to show a better version of themselves at the FNB Stadium this weekend in a bid to stay in the hunt for more silverware.
This will be the Sea Robbers' first real test in the competition, having faced lower-league opposition in the previous three rounds as they beat All Stars 2-0, Venda Football Academy 2-1 after extra-time and Dondol Stars 5-4 on penalties following a 1-1 draw.
"In the three games we played against the opposition, we were all pretty much the same and should be ending probably 0-0, not really good games for the spectators, maybe the sad part," the Spaniard said.
"With not so many goal chances and it was very tight and decided by details. So what I want for the next one is hopefully to show a better version of ourselves. That's what I can control, that we can play with the passion that we used to play in a scenario like that.
"It's the challenge for us because if we do it, I'm sure we can find that joy then hopefully in this case, if the game is again tight because it will be, it is a semifinal, it is a knockout game and there will be moments where there will be some uncertainty."
Chiefs head coach Arthur Zwane isn't reading too much into their recent record against Bucs, who are flying high in the league at the moment as they chase a return to the CAF Champions League.
Amakhosi's form has been patchy of late after picking up two wins, one draw and two defeats in their last five matches to fall away in the race for a two-two finish.
Recent history has shown that the Glamour Boys always manage to come out on top against their neighbours from Soweto when losing their previous outing, having bounced back from defeats to Maritzburg United and Golden Arrows this term.
Zwane's side were beaten 2-1 by Swallows on Monday but he's not putting much stock into that record as he knows Pirates are a different beast after going unbeaten in their last seven games, which included a run of six consecutive wins prior to the 1-1 draw with Royal AM on Wednesday.
Chiefs have also had to work hard to reach the semifinals; they were taken to extra-time by Maritzburg United in the round of 32 and Royal AM in the quarterfinals, while edging Casric Stars 2-1 in the round of 32.
"I hear a lot of people talking about us always winning the derby when we had lost the previous game... yes, that record is there for everyone to see, but for me that's more like perception," he said.
"That (the game before the derby) should be the game that boosts your confidence and helps you to be ready for the derby mentally and physically. Losing every time before the derby counts for nothing... to be quite honest. It's a different ball game altogether. Why am I saying that? We all know that you can't rely on history.
"In football you can't rely more on what you've done in the past. Yes, we have won those games but this will be a different Orlando Pirates," he declared. "This is football, it's very unpredictable. The best team will win, the team who'll create more chances."