Cape Town - On Friday morning, the Premier Soccer League (PSL) announced that tickets for Saturday's Nedbank Cup semi-final between Kaizer Chiefs and Orlando Pirates at the FNB Stadium are sold out
The PSL has urged ticket holders to arrive early, and gates will open at 11am, ahead of the 3pm kick-off for the potentially epic Soweto Derby encounter.
This season Chiefs have enjoyed a rare Premiership double over Pirates, and it forms part of an ongoing five-match winning run against their arch-rivals.
Arthur Zwane, the Chiefs coach, says past wins count for nothing, and he fears an uphill battle because of Pirates' red-hot form of late.
“We all know that games like this are difficult for everyone," said Zwane.
"They are also unpredictable, so, as things stand, Pirates are doing very well.
"We are coming into this game as underdogs. The only thing that is left for us is to believe in ourselves and go to FNB Stadium with one thing in our minds, to keep going and give our best and make sure we come out victorious."
Last week, Chiefs suffered a shock defeat to relegation-threatened Swallows in another Soweto Derby, but Zwane said his team has moved on already and braced for the next challenge.
“Losing every time before the Derby counts for nothing, to be quite honest,” said Zwane.
“It’s a different ball game altogether. We all know that you cannot rely on history. It is about how we will apply ourselves, and what Pirates are going to bring to us, so it’s not going to be an easy game.
“Pirates are oozing confidence. They are coming into this game also knowing very well that they are playing a Kaizer Chiefs team that is wounded, so we will give our best and we are going to FNB (Stadium) to win the game.
“In terms of preparations, last time we got it right, but as their coach says this time it will be a different Orlando Pirates, so only time will tell. That is all I can say.”
@Herman_Gibbs
IOL Sport