Hotto, Shalulile battle for honours

The presence of Deon Hotto and Peter Shalulile will enhance Namibian interest in tomorrow’s MTN 8 final between Orlando Pirates and Mamelodi Sundowns in Durban.

The experienced Brave Warriors duo were both pivotal to their teams reaching the final, following starring roles in the semifinals.

The Brazilians booked their spot in the MTN8 final via a 3-2 aggregate win over Kaizer Chiefs in the semi-finals last month. After a tense first-leg in which Downs and Chiefs recorded a 1-1 draw at the FNB Stadium, a Shalulile brace in the return fixture saw Downs end the game as victors at the Lucas Masterpieces Moripe Stadium.

As for the defending champions, Pirates overcame a spirited Stellenbosch outfit in their semi-final bid. The Buccaneers managed to record a crucial 2-1 win over Stellies at the Athlone Stadium in the first-leg, with Hotto’s stoppage time winner giving Pirates a crucial away goal going into second-leg.

While Steve Barker’s side claimed a 1-0 win at the Orlando Stadium in the subsequent leg, the Soweto giants ultimately confirmed their place in the final following a 2-2 aggregate result, with Hotto’s away goal proving to be the difference in the end.

Tomorrow’s clash at the scenic Moses Mabhida Stadium, a 2010 Fifa World Cup venue, pits the wobbling holders against a Sundowns side looking to stretch their unbeaten start to the season to nine games.

As far as the head-to-head count is concerned, Sundowns hold the clear advantage over the Soweto giants. In the last five matches played in all competitions, Sundowns bagged four wins, including a dominant 4-0 in the Black Label Cup last year.

However, Pirates managed to beat Sundowns in last year’s MTN8 semi-finals, recording a 3-0 aggregate win before going on to win the popular tournament.

As Pirates look to retain the MTN8 trophy, coach Jose Riveiro revealed that he feels good knowing he can select a starting XI with many of his star players returning to full fitness.

“I feel good, I feel glad to have many options and many players available,” Riveiro said.

“As I said already several times, we have a big squad not only in terms of number but in terms of quality, it’s complicated sometimes, as you can imagine to select an XI from this squad.

“It’s always a difficult task but at the same time, it’s challenging to make a mistake because they are all good and when they are on the field it means they are fit, ready, mentally prepared and in that way.

“I’m a lucky coach to have those types of material in my hands. So I can’t complain.”

Mokwena on the other hand, mentioned that Pirates’ physical approach to the game gave his side problems in the past.

“In almost every game against Pirates we lose a player with a very severe injury,” Mokwena said. “I am hoping for a game that doesn’t have too much of those … we have more football, and people are able to talk about the football and less about the handbags. The things on the periphery.” – Adapted from SuperSport.com