Maleka aims for another Bucs scalp
Mpumalanga Black Aces have an opportunity to bow out of the big league with a bang when they visit Orlando Pirates for a Nedbank Cup semifinal clash at Orlando Stadium on Saturday night.
With the club already relegated, they will no doubt throw everything at Pirates, and striker Mpho Maleka, who was given a few days off in preparation of this match, believes Aces are up for the challenge.
"I have been doing gym work on my own and feel ready and motivated for this Nedbank Cup match. We as the team would like nothing more than to proceed through to the final and from there anything can happen," Maleka told the Aces website.
Maleka scored the only goal of the match when the two teams met at Orlando Stadium on October 20, and the striker fancies his chances of repeating history. "Their minds are split between the league and the Nedbank Cup and this might put them under a lot of pressure to perform. They played to a 1-all draw against Santos and surely that must have dented their confidence and aspirations of winning the league as Ajax retained their top spot," he said.
Maleka missed the last two league matches (1-0 defeat against Bloemfontein Celtic s and a 2-1 loss to Maritzburg United). The Aces skipper believes their hosts will have a tough mental battle on their hands as they also have to worry about the league championship.
"We need to win this Cup in order to appease our supporters who have been following and encouraging us through this difficult time. We have let them down badly and winning the Cup will at least leave a sweet taste in their mouth by giving them something to brag about," he said.
"It will be great for me to score and add to my current tally in order to challenge for the top goal-scorer award. But most importantly, we are motivated as a team to get a positive result out of this game and move to the next level," said Maleka. "There will be something for the players to share should the team win the trophy."