Newly appointed Buccaneers coach Abdeslam Ouaddou comes under fire dismantling a functional team that has lost two opening league matches. Photo: Supplied.

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Sundowns coach Miguel Cardoso is hopeful of scrapping through in the Bucs-Downs titanic encounter on August 16 at Orlando Stadium. Photo: Sipho Siso

Rivalry between Orlando Pirates and Mamelodi Sundowns will be renewed this weekend when these bitter enemies go into a titanic battle in the first semi-final leg of the MTN8 at the Buccaneer fortress of Orlando Stadium.

The Mighty Buccaneers will be seeking to defend a trophy it has annexed for the past three or so seasons ago under astute coach Jose ‘Spanish Guitar’ Riveiro, who has since moved on to top Egyptian and continental side Al Ahly.

The Yellow Machine on the other will be eager to win both legs of the competition in the hope of engraving its name on a trophy that has eluded the outfit for several seasons, ultimately become its voodoo trophy.

The Buccaneers’ Moroccan coach Abdeslam Ouaddou, who came under fire from one journalist who accused him of dismantling a functional winning machine when he took over the reigns of the side, said he still trying his combinations especially with the arrival of new players signed during the off season.

“We may have lost two opening league matches but those two ‘swallows’ don’t make a summer nor define me and the team. This is work in progress and I want to assure our valued supporters that we will bounce back,” Ouaddou said in response to the journalist.

Because of their record in cup competitions, the Buccaneers side has taken over the status of their Soweto rivals, Kaizer Chiefs, to become to the new cup specialists after defending the MTN8 trophy for two seasons and the Nedbank Cup for a record three defences in a row.

They lost the fourth opportunity when they beaten by fellow Soweto giants, AmaKhosi, in last season’s cup final in Durban’s Moses Mabhida Stadium. Come what may, the Sea Robbers can still bulldoze its way into the finals, especially when playing against other giants of the league.

Big matches tend not to respect either in form or out of form scenarios and the Buccaneers for one tend to always rise to the occasion, which Ouaddou also promised to turn around the fortunes of the team come the start time of 15H00 on August 16 at the sold-out fortress.

“Each season has its own troops as sides change both players and coaches, and sometimes you have the unfortunate situation of players not jellying quickly to each other’s style of play. We had lots of good moments in the two games we lost, and we just need to work on the negatives and turn them into positives that’s all,” Ouaddou concluded.

His Sundowns counterpart Miguel Cardoso, whom too has had a not so blissful start to new season after drawing his first match 1-1 with Chippa United but later went on to beat AmaZulu 2-0, is hoping to improve the game of his side that is still reeling from the departure of Brazilian midfield marshal-cum goal poacher Luca Ribeiro Costa and its defensive kingpin Khuliso Mudau.

“I find it so interesting to be playing this highly charged match so early in the season, but it is part of the beautiful game, and we will be up to the task on Saturday. Our plan is to make it to the final, but we have the two legs to deal with first. We will do all it takes to get to the final.

“I am still trying combinations to get that fluidity back to the team. All I can say is that may the best team win, and I hope it will be Mamelodi Sundowns,” Cardoso concluded.

Another hot side of the new season, Sekhukhune United, which splashed lavishly on new signings during the off season, is hoping to make waves and shake the egos of the traditional airs to the throne when it does battle with the rising team of the league, Stellenbosch FC, on August 16 at 18H00 at the Danie Craven Stadium in Cape Town.

“This is a massive game, and we face a very good side, but hopefully we can fulfil our ambitions of going all the way to the final. It will not be easy as the Stellies play with few mistakes, but we will do our best on the day,” Sekhukhune United coach Eric Tinkler said.

Tinkler, a former Bafana Bafana star of the African Cup of Nations winning side, said an ambitious squad was assembled during the off season and the mandate ‘I was given is cups, cups and I think that is achievable with the current crop of players.

Tinkler bemoaned the tight schedule of the league with eight games in a space of a month, saying it was a big ask on the technical staff to ensure that all players have recovered and are ready to take on the next game. But it’s the way of the game and we just must live with it,” Tinkler said.