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Cape Town - Revenge won't be far from Eric Tinkler's mind when Orlando Pirates take on Al-Ahly in the semi-finals of the CAF Confederation Cup.
But the thing he wants the most is for his players to prove their worth in the Absa Premiership when they face Mpumalanga Black Aces on Friday at Orlando Stadium.
The match comes after the 4-1 drubbing at the hands of Zamalek on Sunday that saw the Soweto outfit finish second in Group B.
"This was a wake-up call to everybody," Tinkler said after the team touched down at OR Tambo international airport on Tuesday.
"That's how I deal with it. You lost 4-1 to a very good team. You didn't show up, they gave you a bit of a football lesson.
"Now you need to go out there and prove your worth. The players need to prove their worth."
Tinkler will not have much to do in terms of motivating his players when they come up against Al-Ahly in the Confederation Cup semi-finals.
The Egyptian giants dashed Pirates' dreams of a second CAF Champions League title in 2013 when they beat them in the final.
"It's payback time," Tinkler said. "This goes back to the time we played them in 2013. It's something that the players wanted from right at the beginning of the tournament.
"Now they get that opportunity. They have to come out to the party. I think that Zamalek are without a doubt the best team, without a shadow of a doubt.
"We have a good chance to beat Al-Ahly. It's vitally important that we score some goals at home and don't concede so that we have something to protect that side."
