Publications
Partners
Cape Town - Orlando Pirates coach Eric Tinkler has described their final Premiership match against SuperSport United as a curtain-raiser to the Nedbank Cup final.
The Buccaneers will face Matsatsantsa in the league on Saturday before clashing again in the cup final on May 28.
Both teams need victory on the final day to stand any chance of securing a top-eight finish in the Premiership.
Tinkler expects his team to play at their best in the last two games to end their campaign on a high.
“Yes, it’s going to be a hard fought battle for a Top 8 finish. We are sitting on the 7th position at present and they are two positions below us in the 9th spot and it is obvious that they will want to get the three points on offer come Saturday in order to sneak into the Top8.
"We on the other hand will obviously have to match them for effort in order ensure that the result goes in our favor and cement our Top8 position”.
"I expect a tough game from Supersport United, they will come here looking for a win because the only way they can get to finish in the top eight is if they win all three points, which in a way makes this match a final before the final," Tinkler told his club's official website.
"We also can't afford to sit back either, we will have to play our natural attacking game because it is vitally important that we win this encounter. It's no secret that whoever wins this final league match will go into the final of the Nedbank Cup the more confident of the two sides, which makes it vitally important for us to get a win.
"This is a problem, the players will be aware that the final is in a week's time and my job as the coach is to make them understand the importance of both fixtures so that they remain motivated for both matches."
