- Dondol want to avoid stage fright against Pirates
- Giant-killers face Bucs in Nedbank Cup quarter-final
- Lower-tier team hope to eliminate another PSL side
WHAT HAPPENED? Rammoni promised to ensure his players remain unfazed by the pedigree of Pirates when the two teams clash in the Nedbank Cup quarter-final on April 15.
Dondol have earned the giant-killers tag after eliminating PSL sides SuperSport United and AmaZulu from the competition and they are looking to add Pirates to their list of casualties.
The third-tier side have home advantage in the tie against Jose Riveiro’s team, who will be taking on lower-league opposition for the third straight time after facing All Stars and Venda Football Academy in the last two rounds.
WHAT DID HE SAY? “Our players are also human beings, but they know that in football, we don’t hope,” Rammoni told FARPost.
“We prepare. That is the one thing that we’ve been doing, to prepare. We want to prepare for Orlando Pirates with respect like we did with the previous teams.
“It’s the same with all the teams that we’ve played against in the process to get to where we are.
“And then in the league, so on stage fright, unfortunately nobody has total control over other people and other people’s behaviour or feelings.
“But then we’re going to try and help them [players] to be in the right state of mind and fully focus on the game.
“We need to forget that we are playing Pirates or anybody but try to get everything that we want our team to have. It’s all about trying to get those little things right.”
THE BIGGER PICTURE: Pirates are looking to clinch a domestic double by adding the Nedbank Cup to their MTN8 triumph, but they will first need to navigate past the tricky Dondol to make it to the semi-final.
Having failed to challenge for the PSL title, Riveiro’s men are also fighting for second place that will see them play Champions League football next season, but they are in a crowded race that also has SuperSport, Kaizer Chiefs and Cape Town City in contention.
WHAT’S NEXT? Both Dondol and Pirates are back to league action this weekend with Riveiro’s men set to take on Richards Bay in the PSL on Saturday.