SuperSport United searching for cup feel-good factor against Orlando Pirates, says Andre Arendse

SuperSport United will get a shot at reviving a tough season when they attempt to reach the semi-finals of the Nedbank Cup against Orlando Pirates at the Old Peter Mokaba Stadium in Polokwane on Saturday (3.30pm kick-off).

Matsatsantsa a Pitori are no strangers to upsetting the Buccaneers in this competition, as two of their five trophies in this competition came against the defending champions, with two back-to-back defeats in the finals of the 2015/16 (3-2) and 2016/17 (4-1) seasons under the leadership of Stuart Baxter.

Chasing their first domestic trophy success in almost six years, Gavin Hunt and his charges have endured a tough season so far in all competitions, and they have had by far their best run of the campaign in this competition.

Fresh off a 0-0 draw against AmaZulu in the Premiership, Matsatsantsa were missing Hunt from the bench following his red card in their 1-0 loss against Magesi FC at the beginning of this month.

Standing in will be assistant coach Andre Arendse, who will be taking charge of his second game of the week in Hunt’s absence, and the former Bafana Bafana goalkeeper believes the move away from league competition might be good for his side.

“The game on the weekend is always a massive one for us,” Arendse said while addressing the media in Johannesburg on Thursday.

“Past battles with a team like Orlando Pirates have yielded some clinical displays from both teams, and it’s a game that we as clubs go into on the back of not some good form – and our league position will state that.

“But what it does do is give us a break from the league, so that we can just focus on something different and try a few different things with players, set-ups and formations and build towards our league campaign.”

Arendse added that he is excited about the clash, and anticipates a tough fixture against a Pirates side he believes are in good form.

“I am looking forward to the game. I think every coach looks forward to playing against a team like Orlando Pirates, and they are a team in fine form at the moment.

“They have their own ambitions and aspirations to mount a strong challenge to Mamelodi Sundowns, and they are not doing too badly on that front – and we will have our work cut out on that front.”

Matsatsantsa have lost some of their key players over the years, and this season, they have taken a little longer to get to their best form.

Arendse believes his team can take motivation from their previous success.

“Our squad has changed a bit over time; one of the key aspects along those lines is where we have gone as a club in terms of our development structures and developing to sell and that has become a lifeline for our club,” he said.

“We have fallen a bit short over these cup competitions. Any team will tell you the league takes priority over cups, but it does (cup competitions) give you a feel-good factor.

“That is one of the reasons why we feel we need to embrace this opportunity because of the statistics that show when last we did well and also won such competitions.

“In this particular competition, we needed to go as deep as we possibly could. Yes, we are coming up against the holders – a super strong team that you can say they have become cup kings in recent times, and it will be a good test for us.”