The Nedbank Cup final could turn out to be a battle between a dangerous attack and a stingy defence, possibly making it one of the most intriguing finals we have seen in the competition's history. Orlando Pirates' excellent attacking flair, with the likes of Monnapule Saleng, Terrence Dzvukamanja and Kermit Erasmus, will havea big task in trying to break a Sekhukhune United defence manned by Cardoso and Edwin Gyimah, who both have loads of experience. In this Soccer Laduma preview, ahead of the Nedbank Cup final this Saturday, former PSL footballer and current TV analyst James Mayinga gives his thoughts on various talking points that could have a big say in who wins the highly anticipated fixture.
I Think They Will Win It
Tshepang Mailwane: Would you say Sekhukhune United are favourites going into the Nedbank Cup final, considering they have collected four points against Orlando Pirates in the league this season?
James Mayinga: I think they've done extremely well under Brandon Truter since he took over. There is a lot of aggression and conviction, but more importantly, the results are going their way. But I would not say they are the favourites but rather the best team going into the final. In fact, both teams are going into the final with so much confidence, so much so that either of them can be crowned champions. When you look at their results, you can see Sekhukhune has the upper hand against Pirates this season, but when you look at the side of Pirates, they want to finish on a high. They just qualified for the CAF Champions League, so they would want to finish high under coach Jose Riveiro. When you look at his KPI, he will tick a lot of boxes because he has been to two finals, so to win it will be the cherry on top. But it won't be easy because Sekhukhune has done extremely well. We have to brace ourselves for a good final. Both teams come from strong victories, and this makes it exciting. What I like about both teams is that they attack and they play with fluidity. It will be interesting to see how it goes.
TM: Let's focus on the Buccaneers first, who have been drawn as the hosts. Going into the final, what would you say their strengths and weaknesses are?
JM: They utilise their width well and effectively. We cannot undermine the (Monnapule) Saleng factor. The right-hand side, where Saleng has been playing, has been effective in terms of getting and creating goals. There's also the danger of having (Kermit) Erasmus as a hidden striker and that comes with the surprise element. The combination of Saleng and Erasmus has been deadly. (Terrence) Dzvukamanja gives them a different dimension in terms of aerial strength and also stretching the defensive opposition. In terms of their weakness, I think it's the ball recovery in their defensive half. If you look on the sides, (Paseka) Mako has the speed, but you'll find at times that he gets caught because sometimes they play him as a right fullback, which means sometimes he gets caught on that side. That's where the problem lies. Sometimes there is miscommunication when there is pressure and they tend to crack.
TM: So, how does Babina Noko go about managing the threat posed by the players you've mentioned? It's a strong attack versus a solid defence of Daniel Cardoso and Edwin Gyimah…
JM: When you look at Sekhukhune, they vary their formation. Truter likes 4-3-3, but against Pirates, he might go with a 3-5-2 formation, with wingbacks going up and down to try work around dealing with the threat of Saleng. In the middle, they are likely to have a box where they will have two centre-backs in Cardoso and Gyimah. In front of them, there might be (Kamohelo) Mokotjo and (Given) Mashikinya, just to make sure that they take care of the ball and deal with the threat posed by Pirates from midfield. For the better part, expect Sekhukhune to have the ball and to have a low block, or a middle to a low block, just to have that surprise element of going on transition when they have the ball.
TM: How much of a point to prove do you think a player like Tshegofatso Mabasa has against, considering he is on loan from the Soweto giants?
JM: Look, I don't think he has anything to prove to them. The most important thing for him is to go out there and enjoy his football. The problem is that in football, sometimes you are out of sight, out of mind. The first question would be why they loaned him out. Was he surplus to requirements? He should go out there and work hard. It's about working hard. If he wants to prove something to someone, it does not always work. And you might want to prove something to someone who does not necessarily see a future for you. That's why I say he should enjoy his football on the day and embrace the game-time that he gets. Who knows, after his loan deal, he might even make it permanent.
TM: When you look at the coaches, Riveiro and Truter, who do you think has an edge when it comes to experience of handling big matches?
JM: Coach Truter has the edge by virtue of knowing Pirates players because he is a South African. That gives him an edge in terms of knowing strengths and weaknesses. If he has not played against them, he has coached some of them. He has an edge when it comes to that, unlike Riveiro, who will rely on video analysis to check exactly what happens. I believe coach Truter has that edge going into the game.
TM: Finally, who do you think will win?
JM: Sekhukhune will do well. I think they will win it. They had a good second half of the season and coach Truter would want to win a cup to finish the season on a high. As much as coach Riveiro would want to win it, I think the hunger and desire lies with Sekhukhune. They have done extremely well. Not taking anything away from Pirates, but I think Sekhukhune will surprise most of the people.
Key Battles
Dzvukamanja v Cardoso
Had things gone according to plan, Dzvukamanja would not be a Pirates player right now. SuperSport United were confident of securing the Zimbabwean international during the January transfer window, but things changed, and the Tshwane outfit ended up getting Zakhele Lepasa. It was a blessing in disguise for the Zimbabwean, who has been in good form for the side in the second half of the season and poses a serious threat to the Sekhukhune defence. You only need to look at the recent league game between the two sides, where he scored via a header in a 1-1 draw. The former Bidvest Wits attacker is a real threat in the air and if allowed to get onto the end of crosses, he will be a nuisance. He can use both his feet quite well too, so Cardoso has to be at his usual best to ensure he does not get too many opportunities and space in the box. The former Kaizer Chiefs man is itching to win a first major title in the PSL and will need to use his experience to stop the threat posed by Bucs forwards. Babina Noko have been fairly solid this term and the 34-year-old has played a stellar role.
Saleng v Ntiya-Ntiya
This is probably going to be one of the most entertaining battles on match day. Both players have pace to get through the 90 minutes, but Sekhukhune left back Ntiya-Ntiya will need to ensure he gets a proper night's rest to deal with the danger presented by speed merchant Saleng. The latter enjoys coming in from the right flank and cutting into play to get the ball onto his favourite left foot. This gives him an opportunity to either create an opportunity to a teammate or take a shot at goal. This is a key part of his game and the ex-Amakhosi left back will need to be alert to stop him from getting into his groove because he makes the team tick. Ntiya-Ntiya enjoys venturing forward too and it will be interesting to see if Saleng can help out defensively when the diminutive man is in an advanced position. But Saleng poses the greatest threat here due to his big match temperament and match-winning ability, having also scored the goal that won Pirates the MTN8 against AmaZulu FC earlier this season, not to mention having assisted in the Nedbank Cup semis against Chiefs in the previous round and netting against Sekhukhune and Usuthu in the league in games that followed. He is a man on a mission and will look to pickpocket Ntiya-Ntiya Co.!
Sibisi v Mabasa
Nominated for the DStv Premiership Defender of the Season award, Sibisi will be determined to leave a mark in the Nedbank Cup final after he had to come off in the first half of the MTN8 final due to injury. Since returning, he has been a key component at the back, using his leadership and communication skills to inspire the sode to the final and CAF Champions League football next season. He is likely to come up against Mabasa. In the last match between these two sides, the big centre-forward set up Gyimah for the equalizer and he will be looking to make a statement in the hope that it will increase his chances of playing at Pirates next season, if the club does hold onto him. The former Bloemfontein Celtic man has a deadly left foot, while he's not too bad aerially, and "Bhodlela" will no doubt be keeping a close eye on him. Players tend to rise to the occasion against their former sides in games of this nature, so the Buccaneers will be wary of the Mabasa threat.
The Coaches' Contrasting Seasons
Going into the final, Riveiro and Truter have had completely contrasting seasons and both of them need this trophy for different reasons. The Spaniard has already bagged the MTN8 title and is 90 minutes, or 120 or so, away from clinching a second knockout competition title in his first season nogal, and success on Saturday would give management even more reason to go out into the market to give him more players to ensure they can compete both domestically and on the continent next season. He had a bit of a slow start with the side in the league and there was big concern with their low scoring rate in the first half of the season. They netted just 10 goals in their first 15 league matches, but a lot changed in the second half of the campaign as Pirates switched things up quite a bit and started to find the back of the net regularly, which inspired the second place finish in the league.
Truter, meanwhile, is probably licking his lips at the thought of taking on the Soweto giants after he missed out on that opportunity earlier this season in the MTN8. He was sacked before the second leg semi-final against Chiefs and Usuthu went on to lose to Bucs in the final. He must be feeling that he should have been on the Ama- Zulu bench for the final, but he will now get that opportunity in the hotseat of Sekhukhune, and he would definitely fancy his changes of causing an upset, having achieved quite a lot in his short time at Babina Noko. By qualifying for the Nedbank Cup final, Truter has secured a spot in next season's CAF Confederation Cup for Sekhukhune and inspired them to Top Eight finish after a start that had them languishing at the foot of the table under Kaitano Tembo. They were in 15th place when he took over in November and ended up finishing seventh, 11 points from safety. It's the perfect chance for the outspoken mentor to seal his first topflight title and to do so against a giant of South African football would be the cherry on top.
Chiefs Fans Between A Rock And A Hard Place!
In a recent interview with the media, Daniel Cardoso stated, in his typical candid manner, that he does not think Kaizer Chiefs will be able to win titles with a relatively young squad. That more experience is needed in the side. Obviously his comments opened up a can of worms, with some fans attributing it to a case of 'sour grapes' after the veteran was let go by the Soweto giants at the end of last season. They might not enjoy the prospect of seeing him lift a trophy this weekend after what he said about their club, but the tricky part is that he is up against their fiercest rivals in Pirates, whom they would naturally not want to see lifting a cup while Amakhosi suffer from a lengthy bout of silverware drought. Therefore, Soccer Laduma decided to catch up with a Chiefs supporter to hear the sentiment from that part of the world ahead of this interesting tie.
I Can Never Ever Wish For Pirates To Win
Thulani Nombali – Chiefs supporter
"Eish, don't remind me about Cardoso! But even if Sekhukhune wins, it does not really prove Cardoso right because what he said is a different debate to what's going to happen this weekend. I always say that Cardoso was not a youngster when he was at Chiefs, and he was not playing with youngsters, and they never won us anything. Having said that, I do wish for them to win. Even if they win, like I said, it won't be proving him right. I can never ever wish for Pirates to win. I will never do that. They are my rival. I think Sekhukhune stands a very good chance. They defend well and they play well going forward. I cannot have Pirates win trophies and going to the CAF Champions League, while we have nothing. So, Sekhukhune must win."
How Hyped Up Are The Fans?
It's not being spoken about enough, but Orlando Pirates fans have been coming out in their numbers to support their team at the stadium, especially for home games, and indications are that Loftus Versfeld Stadium is going to be as close to a full house as possible on Saturday. Sekhukhune United, meanwhile, will hope the crowd attendance will actually work against the Soweto giants, because the longer the game goes on without Bucs finding a breakthrough, the more the fans will be on edge and start putting the pressure. Either way, it promises to be a lovely atmosphere that will hopefully spur both sets of players on to produce a beautiful display of football. What are their thoughts?
What I Request From The Pirates Players…
Phillip Jwarha – Orlando Pirates supporter
"We've donated four points to Sekhukhune in the league this season. We lost to them away from home and we played a draw at Orlando Stadium, which tells you that the final is going to be tough. A final is never easy at all and Sekhukhune is going to make it tough because they know our system. What I request from the Pirates players and management is for them to really focus on this game because Sekhukhune have shown that they are very dangerous. If Pirates want to win this Nedbank Cup, then we must make sure that the defence is tight because Sekhukhune is dangerous. It's going to be an interesting final and I wish Pirates all the best. We want to win another trophy this season because Saturday is the last game of the season."
We Are Going To Beat Pirates 1-0
Malesela Khumalo – Sekhukhune United supporter
"We are not going to hesitate. The trophy belongs to Limpopo. If you look at the history of the club, it belongs to Limpopo. Sekhukhune is going to win that trophy, irrespective of what people think. We are good defensively and I believe that we are going to beat Pirates 1-0 and we are done. The trophy is coming to Limpopo, and we want everyone from the province, even those who are now in Tembisa and around Gauteng, to start supporting Sekhukhune. We need that support going forward. We need that 12th man. Our team is young and it's growing. We want everything to come to Limpopo and the team must no longer train in Johannesburg. They must train here in Limpopo because it's a team from this province."
