A Stellenbosch FC player has drawn similarities between themselves and Orlando Pirates ahead of their encounter in the MTN8 final this upcoming Saturday.
The match is set to take place in front of a full house at the Moses Mabhida Stadium with kickoff scheduled for 6:00 pm.
The Buccaneers are aiming to make history by becoming the first team to secure this title three times in a row.
On the other hand, after claiming their inaugural trophy in the top flight with the Carling Knockout Cup last season, Stellies are determined to achieve their second this campaign.
While Orlando Pirates, with their rich history, may be considered the favourites, Stellies’ goalkeeper Sage Stephens believes that both teams are currently in excellent form, demonstrating strong defensive capabilities and high-intensity attacking play.
He asserts that there is not a significant disparity between the two sides.
STELLIES STAR DRAWS SIMILARITIES BETWEEN THEM AND PIRATES AHEAD OF MTN8 FINAL
“I think they’re a well-coached team, if you look at their form, they’re doing very well,” said Stephens.
“They don’t concede often which is the strength of theirs. Going forward you know that with the pace they have it’s gonna be challenging.
“In the same breath, we have the same talent. We match them perfectly because if you look at it both teams are in form at the moment.
“We’re also not conceding often which is a good thing, our defence is strong.
“I think it’s a once-off, on the day who pitches up is going to take the trophy.”
Meanwhile, Stephens stated their previous CAF Confederation Cup match against AS Vita served as excellent preparation for the upcoming sold-out event.
The presence of a packed stadium filled with enthusiastic Vita supporters created significant pressure on them; nevertheless, they successfully achieved the desired outcome.
“Our experience that we had in Kinshasa also prepared us well for this coming weekend,” he added.
“The stadium was full, fans were phenomenal. They put us under pressure and in the same game we didn’t start off the best.
“I think with a sold-out event, there’s gonna be nerves no matter what you do. I just think we just need to use the fans to motivate ourselves to work harder.”
