Orlando Pirates captain Innocent Maela is feeling confident over their clash with La Liga side Sevilla in a friendly at Los Nervionenses’ training base tonight.
The Monday night fixture marked the Buccaneers’ second friendly on their Spanish pre-season tour.
Previously, they played to a 2-2 draw against English Championship side Plymouth Argyle, managed by Manchester United legend Wayne Rooney, on Friday.
The Pirates goals were scored by Evidence Makgopa and Olisa Ndah against Plymouth.
Switching their focus to Sevilla, who finished 14th in La Liga last season, Maela expressed optimism. “It’s a good opportunity to test ourselves.
“It should be a good game, and we are all looking forward to it,” Maela shared with sportscaster Thomas Mlambo.
Adjusting to the Spanish summer has proved challenging for the South African side, as temperatures soared to 37°C on Sunday.
Pirates midfielder Phillip Ndlondlo acknowledged the difficulty, particularly for new team members unaccustomed to such heat.
“The last few days were better, but today [yesterday] is worse. We are experiencing the weather that we experienced last year, so good luck to the guys who are new to the team,” Ndlondlo remarked.
Reflecting on his goal against Plymouth, Ndah described the moment with enthusiasm. “It feels good. I was excited. I tried to head the ball, but they pulled me back, and then it fell to Inno [Maela].
“He dropped it for me, and I placed it in the top corner. Funny enough, we did the same thing in training, and I think we should do it more often,” Ndah said.
Looking ahead, the Pirates are set to face Granada on Wednesday in another friendly, before concluding their pre-season tour against Qatar Stars League team Al Sadd SC on Friday.