Orlando Pirates assistant coach Fadlu Davids has admitted his side are anticipating a defensive approach by FC Plainum in their crucial Caf Champions League Group B encounter on Friday night.

Pirates come into the game knowing that they need to pick up all three points in order to keep their hopes of qualifying for the knockout stages alive.

The Buccaneers sit in third position in Group B, two points off second-place Horoya, and three off table toppers Esperance.

The Soweto giants, however, have struggled in recent times to break down teams who apply a defensive approach, particularly at the Orlando Stadium, and the former Maritzburg United coach admitted that they are expecting the Zimbabwean side to deploy similar tactics.

‘First of all, we know we are playing against a team that has nothing to lose and we have to fight, and then of course they have a similar approach to Bloemfontein Celtic,’ Davids told to Marawa Sports Worldwide with Robert Marawa on Metro FM.

‘They load their defence and we have to apply ourselves to be able to unlock them. In the past game, we found it difficult to unlock Bloemfontein Celtic, but we have done our homework,’ he added.

‘We are confident that if we apply ourselves we can get the desired result.

‘It’s not about looking at the log table and hope Horoya beat Esperance, but we have to focus on our games,’ he added.

‘We have to win this next game and that will give us a chance to be able to go to Horoya and get what is needed for us to be able to qualify,’ concluded Davids.

Photo: Samuel Shivambu/BackpagePix