Spurs hope Pirates cup clash can spark change in fortunes

Cape Town Spurs are working hard to turn their fortunes around, starting with the first round of the Carling Black Label Knockout at Orlando Stadium on Friday. 

This is according to Spurs assistant Vasilis Manousakis, who says the team will be ready for battle when they travel to Gauteng for the last 16 clash with the Buccaneers. The newly formed competition which was launched last week in Johannesburg.

Spurs, (formerly known as Ajax Cape Town), have had a dismal start on their return to top flight-football, with the club having lost all of their opening eight games in the DStv Premiership, making them the only team to have not been able to register a point thus far.

The club recently made some changes in the technical team, appointing Manousakis as the assistant coach, while making technical director Sean Connor as the temporary head coach – replacing Shaun Bartlett. 

With the changes, the club is aiming for a change of fortune.

“We are working very hard knowing very well our situation (poor results in the league),” said Manousakis.

“The important thing is to make sure that we get things right in the league and also to do well in cup competitions. We know the kind of game we will be facing against Pirates, especially at their home. So, we are just going out there to make sure that we give our best.”

Meanwhile, Buccaneers coach Jose Riveiro knows the expectations around his side, especially after winning their third final in a row when they were crowned the MTN8 champions recently.

‘No pressure’

However, he says they are not feeling any pressure and they knew that they had to cut their celebrations short as they needed to keep their focus on their upcoming games.

“There is no pressure, it is just one more competition. In football you don’t have time to celebrate so much. Celebrations are much for the fans, they can keep that happiness for a longer period,” said the Spaniard.

“After 24 hours, we (coaches and players) have to start thinking about what’s coming and how do we make sure we can perform in each every game. That’s where we are now, trying to plan as well as possible.”

This will be the second game for Connor and Manousakis in charge of Spurs, with the pair having lost their first match against 2-1 against SuperSport United in the league.

A positive results against Pirates will be a huge morale booster for the team going forward, but with Pirates’ pedigree and knockout record, it seems unlikely.