Orlando Pirates assistant coach Mandla Ncikazi has acknowledged the danger posed by their opponents, the Lamontville Golden Arrows, this evening at Mpumalanga Stadium.
The Sea Robbers have been experiencing a busy schedule partaking in the CAF Champions League, Betway Premiership and the Nedbank Cup.
After their comfortable 3-1 victory over Baroka in the Nedbank Cup round of 16, the defending champions will now face SuperSport United in the quarterfinals who thrashed Kaizer Chiefs 4-1 on Tuesday evening to register their first win across their last five league outings and only their fifth win in 18 games for the season.
Ncikazi admitted that a refreshed Abafana Bes’thende team is a threat to the Buccaneers’ effort to catch up to log leaders Mamelodi Sundowns who are ahead of them by nine points on the log standings.
Arrows crashed out of the Nedbank Cup in the opening round after succumbing to a 2-1 loss against Chippa United. Their last league match resulted in a 1-1 tie on 5 February, against Cape Town City.
“The difference between the two teams is that we are playing against opponents that have had 13 days since they last played a match. They are well-rested and have had an opportunity to prepare [for this match]. We’ve had no time to put our feet on the field, we’re only doing the analysis and recovery,” said Ncikazi.
“We have to be prepared, a very talented opponent with high quality and speed. Results are important to us and we are just going there to collect three points.
The Durban-based team is heading to this match with redemption on their minds having suffered a 7-1 baptism in their last meeting with Pirates. Tshegofatso Mabasa, who scored a hat-trick in that fixture, will be determined to replicate that performance and put his name on the score sheet again as the talisman looks to maintain his hot scoring form.
Mabasa is also chasing down Benedict “Tso” Vilakazi’s goal-scoring record at Orlando Pirates of 58 goals after he netted a hat-trick during their 3-1 win against Baroka FC on Saturday in the Nedbank Cup, leaving him in second place on the all-time scoring charts with 44 goals.
“I’m happy with today’s performance, and I’m glad to see the team bounce back after the loss in our previous game. For me, it’s not about personal milestones. I want to focus on the team’s goals because they are more impactful and meaningful for the club and our fans. We’re all working hard to achieve something special this season,” Mabasa said after the Baroka match.
Pirates’ most recent league match ended in a 4-1 thrashing delivered by the defending champions, Sundowns. They will closely monitor the latter’s game against Marumo Gallants, hoping for a mistake that would reduce the gap.