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Cape Town - Orlando Pirates defender Patrick Phungwayo admits that the absence of Happy Jele and Siyabonga Sangweni, through suspension, will be a huge loss when they take on Al-Ahly in the first leg of the CAF Confederation Cup semi-final tie.
It doesn't help the club that their captain Oupa Manyisa will also miss the match because of the ankle injury he picked up against Polokwane City.
But Phungwayo is adamant that the club has adequate cover, with Ntsikelelo Nyauza and Tshepo Gumede likely to replace Jele and Sangweni.
"It's a blow," Phungwayo told Football411. "But a team of Orlando Pirates' stature has many players who are capable of doing the job.
"We can replace any player. It was proven in our last game against Mpumalanga Black Aces. We had so many changes in the team. The guys who came in showed that they are hungry. They showed why they are here.
"Whoever is given a chance will raise the bar so that, who knows, they might keep their place even after the match.
"That's a big motivation. Everyone who is here knows the culture of the team and their responsibility. The biggest motivation for us is that we need to start winning silverware for our fans.
"They deserve better. They deserve to get the Happy People tag again. A team like Orlando Pirates doesn't just want to be in the final, we want to win it."
The outfit has done well in the tournament away from home. They now want to carry that good away form into their home matches.
"We need to be consistent, because we do so well when we are playing away in the Confederation Cup and we come back we don't do so well," Phungwayo added.
"It's time for us to improve that. As players and as a team we are working hard to change the fortunes of the team because this is a big team and we need to be always on top of our game. We can't choose game."
