Johannesburg - Kaizer Chiefs football manager Bobby Motaung has deemed his team’s Nedbank Cup date with Orlando Pirates as the “right” fixture after progressing to the semi-finals on Sunday.
Following their win against Royal AM in Durban, various members of Amakhosi could be spotted by the elaborate celebrations with each other and the club’s supporters.
Those scenes were lifted even higher when the announcement of the Soweto derby in the semi-finals was made, with goalkeeper Brandon Peterson spotted lifting his hands to the heavens while forward Ashley Du Preez yelled “Come Pirates Come”.
A clearly ecstatic Motaung claimed that facing Pirates at the semi-final stage was the right time.
“Well it's a great draw, every team deserves to be in the semi-final and it's going to be a good semi-final. I think for us it's good to play Pirates, we can't say we wanted them in the final or where we choose, this is the right time to play them and there's no other time,” Motaung said.
Chiefs have an impressive recent record against Pirates and have beaten them the last five times the two teams have met.
However, Motaung refused to admit that those previous results will have any impact in the semi.
“That's in the past, this is a Cup semi-final, it's a different ball game altogether, but it's definitely good for us to play them now,” he said.
Having been bundled out of the MTN8 earlier on in the season and now left with competing for a Caf Champions League spot, winning the Nedbank Cup could spell success for coach Arthur Zwane in his debut season at the helm.
When IOL Sport asked whether the coach's future relied on winning the Nedbank Cup, Motaung was quick to pledge the club’s support for Zwane and reiterated that they would give him time.
“No (it doesn't rely on Chiefs winning the Nedbank Cup), I think we said it that we’re building a new squad for the future so we have to give them a chance. Even the youngsters, most of them are only adapting now,” Motaung said.
“Some of them have not even adapted to the pressure and style of Kaizer Chiefs. So, it’s just ongoing progress in terms of looking at how can we help him to grow.
“We’re putting him up there not to set him up, but we’re putting him up there to build him. So, I think he’s got a bright future ahead of him.”
@ScribeSmiso
IOL Sport