Maritzburg United coach Eric Tinkler believes his side need to respect the quality at Orlando Pirates, but has asked them to play with no fear on Tuesday evening.

Tinkler, who guided the Team of Choice to safety last season when they looked destined for the drop, has filled his side with confidence after picking up five wins in a row.

They will now focus on the clash with Pirates at the Orlando Stadium on Tuesday night, with the Sea Robbers looking to bounce back from their Telkom Knockout elimination at the hands of rivals Kaizer Chiefs.

The Buccaneers may have had an indifferent start to the season but their former boss Tinkler is still wary of the threat the Soweto giants pose.

‘It is Orlando Pirates. There’s a lot of quality at Pirates. We need to go there and perform and play with no fear,’ Tinkler explained.

‘When you are playing against the big three, Pirates, Mamelodi Sundowns and Chiefs, you don’t need to motivate players. Playing against these sides is motivation itself.’

The Sea Robber sit 10 points behind league-leaders Chiefs and will be desperate to go on a winning run to close the gap, but Tinkler believes he is taking a side full of confidence to the Orlando Stadium in search of a win.

‘It is good to go there knowing that you are in good form as a squad. In the league our position has improved. You can go there with a lot of confidence.

‘I think that makes us more dangerous, but at the same time we need to respect Pirates irrespective of whether they are having a good or bad season. That can quickly change because of the quality they have,’ he concluded.