Orlando Pirates captain Innocent Maela has set his sights on a cup double, after lifting the MTN8 trophy earlier this season.
Indeed, the Sea Robbers are gearing up for their encounter against the reigning PSL champions Mamelodi Sundowns in the Nedbank Cup final on Saturday at Mbombela Stadium.
“We will do our preparations with match analysis, but we don’t only watch one match. We watch a lot of games that we prepare for, so we will see and find spaces and moments where we can exploit them,” Maela said.
This will be the second time that the Brazilians and the Soweto Giants square off in a domestic cup final, as the Buccaneers got the better of Masandawana in the MTN8 final at the iconic Moses Mabhida Stadium in October 2023.
The 31-year-old mentioned, “They are a good team, but they have their weaknesses like any other team. We have seen over the weekend (when Mamelodi Sundowns lost to Cape Town City) that anything can happen, so we will plan and take our time.”
The defender is looking to add the fourth piece of silverware since Spanish tactician Jose Riviero took charge of the Soweto Giants. Ahead of the clash, the club’s skipper hinted at recording back-to-back cup doubles, having done so last season.