Wounded AmaZulu seek revenge against Pirates
Franco says Usuthu have prepared well for the game and are mentally ready to face Pirates again.
Pablo Franco, head coach of AmaZulu (Sydney Mahlangu/BackpagePix)
Orlando Pirates and AmaZulu will clash for the second weekend in a row when they meet in a DStv Premiership clash at the Orlando Stadium on Saturday.
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The Buccaneers came out top when the sides met in a Nedbank Cup quarterfinal at the Moses Mabhida Stadium last Saturday, winning 4-2 to advance to the semifinals of the competition.
AmaZulu will not only be looking to avenge that defeat, but will also look to prove that, like their coach Pablo Franco Martin suggested, they were a better team and deserved to go through to the semifinals of the season-ending cup competition.
Speaking ahead of Saturday’s clash, Franco said Usuthu have prepared well for the game and are mentally ready to face Pirates again.
“We are training well and trying to rectify mistakes made in the quarterfinals and to prepare ourselves mentally, because when you’re playing such a good game and are feeling that you were better than the opponents in many phases of the game and then certain things happen that affect the result of the game, that leaves you disappointed,” said Franco Martin
“But the good thing is we have an opportunity to play them again. It’s an away game, it’s going to be more difficult.
“You know the difficulties of playing Pirates at Orlando Stadium. We know that they are not only one of the best teams in South Africa but in the continent. We have already faced them twice this season, we got a point in the first game, and they had more time to prepare for the game than us. In the second game … like I said, we were very competitive, we played one of the best games of the season.
“If we take the chances that we’re going to create, we will have confidence and it will help us overcome the challenge and give us confidence to finally beat them after such a long time.”
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Pirates coach Jose Riveiro will also be hoping that his team utilises the chances created like they did in the win against the self-same AmaZulu last week.
“For multiple reasons, we are in a good space with confidence, we are comfortable, we are dominating and like I said, capitalising (on chances created),” said Riveiro after the previous game against Usuthu.
