Bucs ready for Congo 'war'

Orlando Pirates travel to Congo Brazzaville for a tough away assignment against AC Leopards in the CAF Champions League tomorrow afternoon. 

 

The Buccaneers are tied on seven points with Al Ahly of Egypt but lead Group A due to a better goal difference. A win for the Soweto giants could all but secure them a semi-final berth of the continental showpiece with a game to spare.  

 

Pirates will be without the suspended trio of Happy Jele, Thabo Matlaba and midfielder Andile jail. Bafana Bafana and Orlando Pirates winger Daine Klate says they expect a hostile reception but they are ready for "war" in their penultimate group stage match.

 

"Having seen the field that we are going to be playing on, it won't be nice. It won't be a pretty match but we are going to go there as soldiers for war. The conditions are going to be similar to when we played TP Mazembe but we are ready to stand up and be counted,"  Klate said. 

 

The influential midfielder says a draw away to Leopards would not be a bad result for Bucs but three points will be their goal.

 

"I think we are going to go out there and fight for three points, but think a draw will not be bad for us with a game in hand. It will be nice to come back home with something and finish the job at home.

 

"The first price would be to obviously to win the game."

 

The 28-year-old says they expect a hostile reception but they are ready for  'war' against the team that held them to a goalless draw in the first leg at  the Orlando Stadium.

 

"Having seen the field that we are going to be playing on, it won't be nice. It won't be a pretty match but we are going to go there as soldiers going  to a war. The conditions are going to be similar to when we played TP Mazembe but we are ready to stand up and be counted," he said.

 

Captain Lucky Lekgwathi echoed Klate's sentiments. "It will be tough, we have to focus on the game and forget about off-the-field antics. The experience of our technical team will be very important because William Okpara, Teboho Moloi and our coach Roger De Sá know the demands of African football.

 

kickoff 

 

- Jacasport