At times life demands that you go all in. When any other outcome other than a positive one is no option. It’s all or nothing at this point for Orlando Pirates. They desperately need to overturn a 1-0 deficit when they host Simba SC in the CAF Confederation Cup on Sunday [18h00].
The first leg, last weekend, was followed by a whole lot of talk and accusations, but when the two teams trot onto the field on Sunday evening, all blabber will have to be put aside.
Simba, whose fans are an extremely demanding lot, would have watched their bitter rivals, Young Africans, beat Namungo in the domestic league on Saturday to stretch their unbeaten run to 20 games. It only means one thing – the league title they have won in the last five seasons is as good as gone. Yanga now enjoys a 13-point lead over second-placed Simba with just 10 games to go.
Perhaps Wekundu wa Msimbazi, as Simba are affectionately known, will have to win the Confederation Cup to atone for letting the league slip.
On the other hand, Pirates risk finishing another season without a major trophy, and a continental title would be a beautiful way to end the season for the Bucs faithful.
The East Africans’ defeat inflicted on the Buccaneers broke a six-match unbeaten run and was their first loss in this season’s Confed Cup since the second matchday in the group phase.
Prior to the loss, the Buccaneers finished top of Group B with an impressive 15 goals in their six matches. Mandla Ncikazi and Fadlu Davids will be hoping to summon that form.
Interestingly, they play a team that has struggled on the road. In fact, they have no away victories during their Confed Cup group stage campaign. But all they need in Johannesburg is a draw of any sort.
Simba coach Pablo Franco admitted they were coming into the game with an advantage and wants his charges to get an early goal to unsettle the hosts.
“Of course, when you are playing your first quarterfinal game, and you win without conceding goals, it is a big advantage, but here in Africa, it is very difficult to play away matches.
“We know the quality of our opponents, and they are a great team, and we know that their performance at home will be better and we are already aware that so far in this competition our away performance was not good.
“So, on paper, the results are good for us, but there are factors we need to work on to be more competitive and go there with a good plan. We need to try and score one goal because the game will be difficult,” Pablo said.
He will have to do without former Bucs midfielder Bernard Morrison, who could not travel with the team because of immigration issues. However, they have received a boost in defender Joash Onyango and midfielder Sadio Kanoute, who both missed the first leg of the quarterfinals.
The pair were suspended for the game held in Dar Es Salaam but are now in contention for places in the starting line-up.
Onyango, a Kenyan international, has previously been linked with a move to Pirates and would likely want to show what he is capable of. The Bucs’ defence will have to keep a hawk’s eye on winger Pape Ousmane Sakho and centre-forward Chris Mugalu who have the potential to hurt them if given unnecessary space.
At the back, Simba have an experienced presence as their last line of defence in the form of Tanzanian international goalkeeper Aishi Manula, whose important saves in Dar es Salaam ensured that his side came off victorious, despite a late surge from the Soweto Giants.
