Following Orlando Pirates’ CAF Champions League disappointment when they lost to Saint-Eloi Lupopo in the second preliminary round, former Bucs midfielder Edelbert Dinha feels only winning the remaining domestic titles would save their season.
After suffering a 3-0 defeat in the first leg away, the Buccaneers produced a spirited fightback at Orlando Stadium on Saturday to win 3-0 and level the score before losing 4-5 on penalties.
They will now switch their focus to the Carling Knockout quarterfinal against Magesi at Orlando Stadium on Tuesday evening (7pm) and channel all their energy into the Betway Premiership and Nedbank Cup, the remaining domestic trophies.
“I think it’s for them to concentrate on the other cups which are left,” Dinha told Sowetan on Monday.
“I think they should go for them all out. If they do that, it will take pressure off the boys.
We have such an important competition; the Carling Knockout is coming up, so we don’t have time to be disappointed.
“But with them having been out of the Champions League, I don’t think it is an advantage because every team in this league wants to win a trophy. They should get their minds right and go and try to win the league.”
Bucs will be eager to dust themselves off against a Magesi side who knocked them out in the first hurdle of this competition last season at the same venue.
Coach Abdeslam Ouaddou said they will have to get over the CAF disappointment as quickly as possible and focus on the match tonight.
“We have such an important competition; the Carling Knockout is coming up, so we don’t have time to be disappointed,” Ouaddou said.
“We have to get over the disappointment quickly because we have objectives coming up soon.”
The Soweto giants have already won the MTN8 this campaign.
Magesi, on the other side, have improved, having won their last two matches against TS Galaxy in the Betway Premiership match and AmaZulu in the Carling Knockout and will be motivated coming into this game.
Sowetan
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