Orlando Pirates defender Tapelo Xoki has described the MTN8 semi-final against Mamelodi Sundowns as the test to see how far they can go this season.
The towering defender joined Pirates from AmaZulu in the off-season and with confidence brewing under head coach Jose Riveiro in the new-look squad, he admits it will be a real test of their credentials against the 2021/22 domestic treble champions.
“It will be a good test for us to see how far we can go. We know they are the current defending champions. We know we want to go all the way,” Xoki told the media.
“And to do that, we need to beat everyone in front of us. It is not different if it was another opponent, but we have to face the defending champions and give them the respect they deserve. But going to the game knowing that we want to win and go all the way.”
With Pirates holding one of the most talented defensive options, as Xoki and Nigeria international rotate in a three-man defence alongside Bafana Bafana duo Nkosanathi Sibisi and Innocent Maela, there’s been a clear discussion over how they can deal with PSL Footballer of the Year Peter Shalulile.
But Xoki feels it would be unwise to channel all their energy on the Namibia hitman knowing that cutting out the supply to him would be beneficial to the team.
“We have to appreciate Shalulile’s qualities. He has done well for his club. He scored goals for his team, but he doesn’t do it alone – other players give him the supply,” he explained.
“That’s why we have to make sure that we starve the supply to him as much as we can. So, we have to deal with all the other guys because it is not only him who can hurt you.
“There are so many guys who can hurt you in their team, but the tactic is for the coach to sort it out during the week and we have to make sure we follow what we have to do on the day.
“We have to focus on that as a collective, not solely on him. We played against him for so many games and we know what kind of a player he is.”
