MUHSIN Ertugral does not want his charges to drop the ball in his first match as Orlando Pirates head coach, not even when the champion coach is in charge at this weekend’s Carling Black Label Champion Cup.
Pirates are eager to continue their dominance over fierce rivals Kaizer Chiefs when they meet in the annual Soweto derby at the FNB Stadium on Saturday (3pm).
Ertugral said their mission was to infiltrate Amakhosi’s penalty box quickly, which would be key for Bucs to win the match in regular time.
Since the inception of the cup, it has never been won in 90 minutes, always lasting into extra time.
He said: “It’s always nice to start the season with a derby. The fact that all tickets have been sold shows how people feel about the match.”
Bucs captain Oupa Manyisa is looking forward to returning to action after a long absence due to injury: “I missed being on the pitch. It was difficult but I had to deal with the setback.”
Meanwhile, Pirates have indicated that they will wait for the outcome of the doping case involving a Bucs player. Bucs’ Floyd Mbele said: “We respect the process and will wait for the hearing to take place. We stand by the player and appreciate that he must go through the judicial process.”