Ncikazi has played down the experience Pirates players have of playing in Cup finals and says Stellenbosch will be a difficult team to beat, especially in Durban where the team has done well.

His counterpart at Stellies, Steve Barker says it will be a big achievement for them to win the MTN8 and they will do everything they can to win their second knockout competition after their Carling Cup success.

Stellenbosch won in its first knockout competition in topflight football last season beating TS Galaxy to lift the Carling Cup trophy. And despite losing one of its key players, Iqraam Rayners, Stellies has continued from where it left off last season and now have a chance to win their second knockout competition. Barker says winning the competition will be massive for the club.

“In our short existence to have already been in a final and won a trophy to replicate that we’ve realized that getting to finals is tough but winning a final is even tougher. We don’t have that experience Pirates do, they’ve been in many finals, but we will do everything to win the trophy because winning it would be massive for the club.”

Pirates has done its homework and know just how difficult it will be to beat Stellies.

“Titus, his strengths even in the absence of Rayners the structure has not changed and contrasting styles of play, another team is possession based while another is happy to sit back and counter press,” says Ncikazi.

Pirates will have the majority of support at a packed Moses Mabhida stadium. However, both teams know they will have to play their best football to win on the day.

“We all know the stadium will have majority of Orlando Pirates supporters, we are going to have to find ways to overcome the 12th man, the voice that Pirates will have, they are the team that thrive on making their supporters happy, but we will give it our best shot,” Barker explains.

“They have played more than us in Mabhida, they beat Sundowns there, they won the Carling Cup there. They have that advantage, but we are Orlando Pirates, any match you play you have to win it,” Ncikazi elaborates.

Ncikazi has said that Pirates have enough quality and depth in their squad should Olisah Ndah and Monnapule Saleng who haven’t trained this week not be available for the final.

--SABC--