Richards Bay FC coach Ronnie Gabriel has made bold statements ahead of their Nedbank Cup clash against the high-flying Orlando Pirates.
The two sides will face off in the Round of 32 tie on Sunday, 26 January at the King Zwelithini Stadium in Umlazi.
The defending champions, Buccaneers will be looking to secure the spot in the next round as they aim to retain the trophy.
Meanwhile, this competition also presents an opportunity for Richards Bay to claim their first major silverware since gaining promotion to the top flight.
While acknowledging the Sea Robber as “arguably the best team in Africa at the moment”, Gabriel reminded them that Richards Bay has consistently provided a formidable challenge in their previous meetings.
He stated confidence is high within the Richards Bay camp as they prepare for the encounter.
GABRIEL SAYS THEY FANCY THEIR CHANCES AHEAD OF ORLANDO PIRATES CLASH
“We know they are team on the up and having good form in the moment. However, if you look at our previous games against Pirates in the previous years, we always gave Pirates a good competitive fixture and give them something to think about,” said Gabriel.
“Last year, we went to Orlando Stadium and we beat them in their home ground. So, we fancy our chances going into the fixture as well.
“We are not intimidated by the opposition as much as we respect them. We believe that we have the squad that is capable of handling Pirates on the day.”
Furthermore, he emphasised that his team has been displaying strong performances in recent matches, even though the results haven’t always reflected their efforts.
’WE’RE TAKING ASCENDANCY AGAIN’
“The group has been dominating fixtures. We went to Cape Town against Cape Town City, dominated the exchanges, dominated the goals scoring chances, and we just couldn’t come away with the points but the performances are encouraging,” he added.
“We’re going into fixtures, whereby we are taking ascendancy again, we are controlling games, and we are the dominant force in these games.
“So, this spell that we’re having, it will turnaround, and we will have a good spell. We’ll pick up a lot of points and we’ll beat a lot of teams with this team.
“So, we’re highly confident with the way that we are playing in terms of the performance and the attitude of the group.”
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