Pirates banking on Cup form
Cup success for Orlando Pirates at the weekend might just be the spur to get the champions’ league campaign back on track, coach Julio Cesar Leal suggested as they basked in the glory of their Telkom Knockout semifinal win over Lamontville Golden Arrows.
“In the league, we have had some unlucky results but if you look at where Pirates were at this stage last season, it will show that the club can also fight back and do well,” he said in a reference to Pirates’ come from behind success in last season’s Absa Premiership.
“We are in a final of a competition that Pirates has never won and it is fantastic to be there but we have to now come back down to earth and focus on the league.
“We have two important league games before we play in the Telkom Knockout final and they are going to be very complicated,” Leal predicted.
“But the experience of beating Arrows on Saturday will be important for the players and we hope to continue with the form against Ajax (Cape Town) on Wednesday and then at the weekend against SuperSport United.”
Save for the long term injury suffered by full back Happy Jele, Leal also now has his strongest squad to chose from with players back from injury and suspension.
“This is the team that we started the season with, except for Benni McCarthy who joined us late. I believe this line-up is capable of changing things for us in the league,” the Pirates coach added.