Pirates’ Xoki dismisses lucky draw claims, cites Chiefs Cup exit

Orlando Pirates captain Tapelo Xoki says being paired against a lower division side in the Nedbank Cup last-16 round doesn’t guarantee them a safe passage to the next round of the competition.

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Pirates played SAFA Regional League side Crystal Lake FC in the first round of the tournament, thrashing them 6-0 at the Mbombela Stadium last Saturday.

The Buccaneers, who are the defending champions of the Ke Yona Cup after beating Sekhukhune United in the final last season, have been drawn against Motsepe Foundation Championship side Hungry Lions FC in the last 16 round of the Ke Yona, a draw that many perceive as a lucky draw, but Xoki sees it otherwise.

“The results of the tournament have shown that there’s no such thing as luck when Premiership teams play against teams from lower divisions. Yesterday (Sunday) we saw a result where a lower division side (Milford FC) eliminated a big team (Kaizer Chiefs),” the Pirates defender told the media following the draw held at SuperSport studios in Randburg on Monday.

“You can’t say we are lucky because these teams from lower divisions are competitive and that has been proven. You have to give them the respect they deserve. They are in this tournament to win it as anyone else. As Pirates, we treat every game the same. There’s no lucky draw… we only wanted a home draw and luckily we got it.”

But, before playing Lions in the Nedbank Cup, Bucs have some difficult league fixtures coming up for them in the next two weeks.

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The Buccaneers travel to Limpopo for a meeting with Polokwane City at the Peter Mokaba Stadium on Saturday.

After that fixture, they will play Cape Town Spurs on 6 March, before meeting Kaizer Chiefs in the Soweto derby three days later.