Richards Bay coach Kaitano Tembo has warned his team that they must score first if they want to beat Orlando Pirates in their Carling Knockout quarterfinal clash.
The two teams will meet this afternoon (15:00) at the Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban, with a spot in the semi-finals up for grabs.
Kaitano Tembo is well aware that Pirates is a team with a lot of quality, but he believes that Richards Bay have the ability to upset them if they start the game well and take their chances.
“When you play such games, if you take your opportunities, you will be able to win the game, and then you will be able to manage the game,” said Tembo.
“Scoring is the most important thing. When you score goals, you are able to manage the game, and you will be able to protect them because you know you have something. But when you are always chasing the game, it becomes a problem,” said Tembo ahead of the game.
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“So, playing against Pirates I think we need to try and score first and be able to manage the game. But even if they score first, it’s a cup game; we just need to keep on going.”
The Soweto giants will be eager to bounce back after suffering a shock 2-1 loss to Cape Town Spurs in a DStv Premiership game on Wednesday.
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Tembo said that they are prepared for a wounded Pirates side.
“A team like Pirates will always have an advantage over us because they are Pirates,” he added.
“So for us, we have to try and go play knowing that we are playing Pirates irrespective of who plays. They will always put out a good side, and they also have a very good coach.
“What’s important is the performance on the day which makes us win the game. Because that is very key, irrespective of who they put out there. We need to go out there and play to win. It’s a cup game. There are no second chances.”