Defending champions Orlando Pirates will be resuming their MTN8 title defence in the first leg of the second semifinal, when they exchange blows against Stellenbosch FC at the Athlone Stadium in Cape Town this afternoon.
The Buccaneers were pitted against Stellies, while their noisy neighbours Kaizer Chiefs were drawn against Mamelodi Sundowns – who battled it out in the first semifinal yesterday.
Pirates booked their ticket in the semis in spectacular fashion with a statement win when they put out a five-star performance against Sekhukhune United by demolishing them 5-0 in the quarterfinals.
Nevertheless, against Stellenbosch it will be a different ball game altogether, as they will be going into the encounter wary that they will be facing a side that left them shellshocked early in the season – when they defeated them 1-0 during their DStv Premiership opening league match in front of a boisterous Danie Craven Stadium.
Apart from that, Bucs coach Jose Riveiro has since emphasised that his side will not be thinking too much about the previous result, as it will be focusing on the task at hand and hope to relive last season’s memory of lifting the Wafa Wafa trophy.
“We want to go to this and make sure that we are the better team after the final whistle,” he said.
“Like I said before, we always want to play in every game and every final but to make it possible we have to make it possible against Stellenbosch.”
Having lost against a fellow Soweto side midweek in Chiefs, Stellenbosch coach Steve Barker will be looking to bounce back and steer his side back to winning ways at the expense of the Sea Robbers.
Riveiro and his contingent, on the other hand, will be itching to get their hands to their new-look MTN8 trophy, but they will have to go past a stubborn and energetic Stellies side on home and away fixtures.
Kick-off time is at 3pm.
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