Khaled Ben Yahia warns 'MC Alger can’t waste chances' against Orlando Pirates because 'it's time to make history' - 'I don’t want to see any player lower their heads'

Orlando Pirates will be away in North Africa, where they are scheduled to play Algerian outfit MC Alger on Tuesday at the July 5 1962 Stadium.

It will be a massive Caf Champions League quarter-final game with either side hoping to get a positive result ahead of the second leg to be played in Mzansi.

This season, Pirates have been doing quite well against North African teams.

In the group stage, they beat CR Beluizdad away 2-1 before beating the defending champions Al Ahly by the same margin in Cairo.

MC Alger coach Khaled Ben Yahia is already aware of the danger posed by the Soweto giants.

He has since warned his players against complacency, insisting they have to fully concentrate from the first to the final whistle.

“Gentlemen, this match is not like any other. It’s not a simple league match where you can make up for it the following week. It’s a Champions League quarter-final. If you want to make history for Mouloudia, it’s now,” he said..

“Get it into your heads that a draw or a defeat would put us in great difficulty before the return to South Africa. We must win this match, whatever the cost! You must be at 200%, from the first minute to the final whistle. It’s not a question of talent, it’s a question of determination, mental strength, and the will to win.

“We can’t waste our chances! In the Champions League, if we want to go far, we have to be realistic. When an opportunity presents itself, we have to seize it, we have to score, There won’t be ten chances, there might be three or four. So, I want every shot, every header, every dangerous situation to be fully exploited. Be killers in front of goal," Ben Yahia added.

“I don’t want to see any player lower their heads, any player back down from a duel. You are warriors; you must fight for every ball, press, win back, and harass the opponent. I want eleven soldiers on the pitch, ready to give their all for Mouloudia. We must play as if our lives depended on it," he concluded.

Both teams have won the Caf Champions League once and are chasing their second star.

This season, they have a massive opportunity to go all the way, but it is Pirates who are keen on winning the tournament after reaching the knockout phase for the first time in a decade.