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Cape Town - Rooi Mahamutsa has warned his Orlando Pirates team-mates about getting too carried away after their 1-0 win over Al Ahly in the first leg of their CAF Confederation Cup semi-final.
Thamsanqa Gabuza's eighth-minute strike eventually proved the difference at the Orlando Stadium this weekend as the Buccaneers put one foot in the final.
However, the Soweto giants now face a daunting trip to Egypt in the return leg next weekend, and Mahamutsa, who was handed the captain's armband in the absences of Oupa Manyisa, Happy Jele and Siyabonga Sangweni, knows there is still plenty work to be done if they are to go all the way this year.
"After the game the guys were so happy but I told them that they must not be too happy because there is still another game that we have to go and play," Mahamutsa said.
"We have one leg into the final, for us to get the second leg in we have to go there with the full focus so that we can win the game and go to the final."
Speaking of Mahamutsa's composed showing as stand-in skipper, head coach Eric Tinkler said: "When we lost our three captains; Siya, Happy and Oupa, the first person in mind for me was Rooi because of his experience.
"I also felt that giving him that sense of responsibility will spur him even more. What I told him and the rest of the squad is that, they needed to go into this game with the same mentality and character that Oupa Manyisa has.
"Oupa might not be a talkative person, but the way he plays, that's leadership in itself. That's what Rooi did. because of that, everybody fed off the way he played which I think was a good job done by him."
