Orlando Pirates will be looking to secure their place in another final when they face Marumo Gallants in their Nedbank Cup semi at the Orlando Stadium on Sunday.
Pirates have won five trophies in the past two and a half seasons under head coach Jose Riveiro, including two Nedbank Cups, and are on course for another final experience, provided they can beat a relegation-threatened Gallants.
Riveiro’s side claimed their third MTN8 title earlier on in the current campaign, while they also recently secured their passage to the semi-finals of the CAF Champions League, with a 1-0 aggregate victory over Algerian giants MC Alger.
But in Bahlabane Ba Ntwa they face a team on the up under new head coach Abdeslam Ouaddou.
In his first match in charge, the Moroccan guided his team to a 2-0 Betway Premiership win over Pirates, although Riveiro was suspended for that match.
They are still in a precarious position in the Betway Premiership in 12th place, just three points clear of the dropzone, but have picked up 10 points from a possible 18 and will provide a stern test for the Buccaneers.
Ahead of the game, the Bucs boss said on IOL: “The other games that we play usually have three possible results, and it affects the approach to the game.
“This is a different story, as there is a possibility to go to a final, and it requires a different way to look at the game from both teams.
“We have a different experience in this type of competition.
“We are going to try to recover as quickly as possible in a short space of time to be prepared for the game as best as we can, and to do our best to be in the final, with whatever it takes.”
Pirates were knocked out of the Carling Knockout Cup in the first round by eventual winners Magesi, and Riveiro says they used that loss to improve in the cups.
“Every competition this season is helping us get better,” he explained.
“But even when things are not going well – like it happened in one of the competitions earlier this season, after we were eliminated in the first game – it helped us understand that if you are not good enough on the day, the competition is over for you, and it’s a learning process.”
Ouaddou has, meanwhile, warned Pirates not to underestimate his side.
He said on FARPost: “When all teams arrive in the semi-finals, there are no more small teams. So everybody has to respect all the teams
“[Orlando Pirates is] one of the best clubs, not only in South Africa but on the continent. It’s a big challenge for us. We know that we had a great performance a few weeks ago [against Pirates].
“But it’s another game. So we are prepared for that. Like I said, we will go there with the ambition to go through.”