Dondol Stars co-coach Vincent Rammoni has set his sights yet again on upsetting a DStv Premiership side in Orlando Pirates, saying they will prepare thoroughly to exploit their weaknesses.
Stars were paired with Jose Riveiro’s side in the Nedbank Cup quarter-final draw, with the fixture set to be played on Saturday.
The Mamelodi-based club has already surprised two DStv Premiership sides in what is known as the Cup Of Dreams, being the only amateur side left in the Ke Yona Cup after embarrassing SuperSport United and AmaZulu respectively.
Interestingly, the draw against Pirates was the third time that Dondol have gotten a home game, having beaten Matsatsantsa and Usuthu at home.
While they have defeated two top flight sides to reach this stage of the competition, Pirates have reached this stage after beating two teams from Motsepe Foundations Championship – All Stars and Venda Football Academy, though the later provided a sting as Pirates needed extra-time to go through after Thembinkosi Lorch’s lob.
In these matches that Rammoni has watched of Pirates, he said they are places they can take advantage of, though he didn’t specifically say where in this immensely talented Bucs team.
“There are loopholes because they are also a team, they are also human beings [just like us] within their game models, structures, strengths and weaknesses,” said Rammoni.
“It is only our role to go and identify the strengths and weaknesses. I don’t know if it was coincidental – I watched five of Orlando Pirates matches and when I got here today I was saying to their coach [Riveiro], ‘I feel I’m going to play against your team, I don’t know why but I’m feeling that’.
“He said ‘I don’t want to play against Dondol’ and it happened. But then we respect them and that is why I will never have a space to actually talk about their weaknesses or strengths right now where I am because they are also an organisation, a big one for that matter that needs to be respected.”
Impressively, in these two matches Dondol have won they came from behind, showing the strength and character of this team that they are made of sterner steel – this is something Pirates will have to be wary of.
Meanwhile, the last time Pirates lost to an amateur side in the Nedbank Cup was back in the 2012/13 season, when they were humiliated by Lorch’s former club Maluti FET College, losing 4-1 in the first round in Phuthaditjhaba in the Free State.
