'Underdogs' Aces geared for Pirates clash
Relegated Mpumalanga Black Aces go in the Nedbank Cup semifinal clash against Orlando Pirates at Orlando Stadium on Saturday as underdogs but with determination to win. Kick-off is at 8:15pm, live on SS4.
"We need to win the game against Pirates and it’s good that we are the underdogs because we won’t be under any pressure," said Aces coach Mark Harrison on the club's website.
Black Aces lost their last two league games against Maritzburg United at home and away to Celtic in Mangaung.
"Look, we have already been relegated and we didn’t want to lose players through suspension or injuries. The Nedbank Cup is the ultimate goal at the moment and that’s why we rested some of our regular players who were on two yellows or carrying slight injuries to prepare for this big game," said Harrison.
The last time the two teams met at Orlando Stadium, Aces beat the home side via a solitary strike from Mpho Maleka.
"This is going to be a tough game but we are not worried about what they are doing as we are focusing on preparing well for them. We need a positive result after 90 minutes," he said.
Meanwhile, defender Warren Bishop said the players were already over the pain of relegation and were willing to fight against Pirates.
"The Nedbank Cup is the only thing left and there are incentives that comes with winning this competition. Players will want to go out there and prove that they don’t deserve to be playing in the lower division as other teams will be watching," said Bishop, Nedbank Cup finalist with Pretoria University in the 2009. "With the players that we have, I am confident that we can reach the final," he said.