Nedbank Cup

Preview: CT City vs Pirates

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Roland Putsche tackles Thabo Matlaba for the ball

The odds will be against Cape Town City when they host an in-form Orlando Pirates side at Cape Town Stadium in their Nedbank Cup last-16 clash on Wednesday, writes DYLAN APPOLIS.

The sides have never met in a cup competition and, in their three previous Absa Premiership fixtures, the Buccaneers have won twice while the Citizens are yet to register a win against the Soweto giants.

Milutin Sredojevic’s side head into the encounter high in confidence after clinching a 3-1 victory over arch-rivals Kaizer Chiefs at the FNB Stadium on 3 March, and the Sea Robbers have experience in beating teams from the Cape after Bernard Morrison’s brace against Ajax Cape Town sealed their passage to the last-16 stage of the tournament.

Sredojevic said: ‘We are hungry and looking forward to the game. We know that there is that thinking that Johannesburg teams are struggling in Cape Town. It is true that the weather is different, but I would not go that direction and I would rather focus on the football.

‘We [would] be happy and proud if we could have the same performance like we had against Ajax Cape Town, but of course with a better conversion ratio and much tighter at the back. It is the intention to show that what has happened [the game against Ajax] was just a bad day in the office.’

Meanwhile, Benni McCarthy’s outfit will go into the encounter off the back of a 1-0 win over Mozambique side Costa do Sol in their CAF Confederation Cup preliminary round at the Estadio do Zimpeto last week.

The Citizens made their way into the last 16 after securing a narrow 1-0 victory over Bidvest Wits at the Bidvest Stadium on 7 February with a goal by Matthew Rusike.

‘I think we are very much [the] underdogs and that gives us a bit more ease to play our game‚ execute our tactics and [affect] how we are going to set up against them.’

McCarthy continued: ‘We can play with freedom because everybody will be looking to see how far Pirates can take this run [in the Nedbank Cup]. We are the team standing in their way and so hopefully, the boys can get into the game.

‘The weather is playing an awesome part‚ so that is good for us.’

The match at Cape Town Stadium kicks off at 19:30.

Photo: Gavin Barker/BackpagePix