Orlando Pirates co-coach Fadlu Davids has admitted that the message to the squad ahead of the Caf Confederation Cup final is clear, win.
The Sea Robbers face Renaissance Berkane in the Caf Confederation Cup final in Uyo, Nigeria, on Friday with the chance of glory.
Heading into the game Davids admitted that the squad understand the magnitude of the game where only victory will matter.
“The non-playing squad sent a video to us, the technical team, and we created something where they made a video of encouragement and the quote was ‘Nobody remembers the finalist that lose the match’.
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“That was the message. It was as clear as that. Immediately it turns on a switch in the players’ thinking to say that we don’t want to go to the final and celebrate. Yes, we’ve got to the final, but without winning the final.
“This disappointment in our previous match was maybe a blessing in disguise where we made the final by losing 1-0, came into the change room and with our mixed emotion [goalkeeper] Richard Ofori wanted to hit some of our players because we conceded a goal.
“And the mood in the change room after the match was perfect in hindsight. There were not a lot of celebrations, [which is good] because the celebrations are for after the final, not for making the final.
“And that is the mindset for us. We, as Orlando Pirates, want to go into this final and get the job done.”
Pirates reached the 2013 Caf Champions League final where they lost 3-1 on aggregate to Egypt’s Al Ahly. Bucs lost 2-1 on aggregate to Tunisia’s Etoile du Sahel in the 2013 Confed final.
Berkane won the 2019-2020 Confed Cup after being losing finalists in 2018-2019.