Orlando Pirates head coach Abdeslam Ouaddou feels to win a cup game has nothing to do with who is more well rested but who has the biggest heart and desire to win.
After the 1-1 draw at Orlando Stadium in the opening leg last week, Sundowns hold a slight advantage going into the return fixture at Lucas Masterpieces Moripe Stadium on Saturday afternoon due to the away goal ruling.
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And speaking ahead of the game, with Sundowns having rested several key players in the mid-week league victory over Magesi, iDiski Times probed the Pirates coach whether it showed the respect Masandawana are showing their fixture this weekend.
“To be honest, I don’t look at what they do, of course I have seen the result, but yesterday I was focused 100% on our team and that’s it,” Ouaddou said about Sundowns resting key players in their mid-week league fixture.
“I think… the cup games has nothing to with rest or… for me it’s here, it’s in the head, it’s mental – do you want to go through? Do you want to go to the final? Are you fancying to keep the title?
“Are you going to play as a unit? Sometimes in the cup games you need to find the resources, especially when you play extra time, you don’t think about being tired, it’s how hungry you are on the pitch – do you want the cup more than the opponent or not?
“So, it’s something I cannot explain, but sometimes these cup games need to come from the heart, from deep [to win the game].”
The two sides meet in the nation’s capital this weekend at 15h00.
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