Orlando Pirates captain Innocent Maela has urged his side to make sure that they are “fully prepared” for their upcoming encounter against AmaZulu in the MTN8 final.
The Buccaneers are set to face Usuthu in the final of the MTN8 which is scheduled to take place at the Moses Mabhida Stadium on Saturday.
Pirates made their way into the last two after they defeat Mamelodi Sundowns 3-0 on aggregate in the two-legged semi-final fixture.
Meanwhile, AmaZulu made their way into the final after they went through on the away goal rule following a 1-1 draw against Kaizer Chiefs.
Maela was stretched off the field during their 1-0 defeat to rivals Chiefs after sustaining an injury in the 28th minute and was subsequently replaced by Paseka Mako.
“We have an opportunity to play the final, an opportunity to lift the trophy. The coach said it is a very emotional week, but the most important thing for us as players is to focus on the training session,” Maela said.
“The next task is planning for the match which is important. We have to make sure that we are fully in during our training sessions to make sure that we are prepared for the match.
“People saw that I couldn’t finish the match because of the injury that I had. But we are still busy with the team doctors and the physios. But it’s still early to tell, I feel good and confident. We will see as the week goes by, nothing is confirmed yet.”
According to Innocent Maela, Orlando Pirates owe it to their fans to win the #MTN8 this coming weekend.
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— SuperSport Football ⚽️ (@SSFootball) November 2, 2022
Photo by Sydney Mahlangu/BackpagePix
