Three things Pirates need to do to beat Simba

Orlando Pirates’ final hope of a trophy this season rests today on them turning around a deficit against Simba SC in the second leg of their Caf Confederation Cup quarterfinal at Orlando Stadium.

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Simba head into this match with their heads held high after managing to secure a 1-0 victory in the first leg at their home ground the Benjamin Mkapa Stadium in Dar es Salaam last weekend.

It will be a different ball game this time around, with the 1-0 advantage not guaranteeing the Tanzanians a place in the last four. But, Pirates will have to be at the top of their game to win this tie and there are certain things they need to get right in order to beat the East Africans.

1.       Looking at the first leg, most of Simba’s attacks were from the wings, where you will find Pape Sakho linking up well with Bernard Morrison on the left, whileon the other side there was Peter Banda and Shomari Kapombe. Both sides of attack have pace and skill, so it will be crucial for Bucs’ wing backs to defend smartly not to give the opposition much time on the ball and try to close them down quickly.

2.       Even though it’s 11v11 on the field, fans play a huge role in a match and Simba used their home ground to their best. Pirates players need to draw motivation from their supporters and stand their ground to show their opponents that they are visiting.

3.       Pirates need to be lethal upfront and an early goal for the team would be perfect for them to go and win the match. Maybe the technical team should look at other options upfront with Kwame Peprah struggling in the first leg. Zakhele Lepasa could be a perfect replacement.