Nobody could have imagined that Orlando Pirates would be knocked out in the early stages of the Absa Cup, even their opponents. Silver Stars co-director Larry Brookstone says: ‘We were flattered just to be on the same field with Pirates. This is a wonderful achievement in the history of the club.â€
First division inland stream championship contenders Stars did the unthinkable last weekend when they beat premiership heavyweights Pirates 2-0 in the cup — and blew any chance of the Soweto giants achieving a league and cup double.
Pirates seemed keen to win the game in the first half but the wheels fell off in the second half when Stars striker Surprise Moriri scored the opening goal. The second, from substitute Koketso Mmotong, sank Pirates as their young and inexperienced side could not fashion a comeback. Bucs coach Roy Barreto admits the pressure is now on him to win the league title.
He claims the heat of Thohoyandou played a role in his side’s defeat and says he doesn’t think his players’ confidence has been knocked by the shock defeat. If the heat made Pirates succumb to a first division side they should pray it is cool in Limpopo province this weekend when they face the season’s surprise package Dynamos at the Giyani stadium. Pirates are second in the league and must win all their remaining matches to clinch the championship.
Barreto is unsure whether the early cup exit will be a blessing in disguise for his youngsters, allowing them to concentrate solely on the league. ‘It could work either way,†he says.
But team manager Phil Setshedi is more forthright: ‘The pressure is now on everybody — from the players to the coach down to the kit manager — to win the league title as the stakeholders are waiting for a trophy.â€
Silver Stars never imagined they could draw a crowd of 5 000 to their stadium until Pirates came along. Brookstone says their usual crowd is between 400 and 600 supporters. His team’s priority is to win the first division inland stream and then go as far as possible in the cup. It is the first time that they have competed in a prestigious nationwide cup.
The club is well known in the Limpopo region for its attractive brand of soccer, and Brookstone promises more of the same in the quarterfinal against Jomo Cosmos next weekend.
Brookstone says that the team is not focusing on the money they can get from the cup (they earned
R75 000 for the win over Pirates), but just want to enjoy their remaining games in the tournament.
Silver Stars have 26 players on their books, with an average age of 22. They each earn between R1 000 and R3 000 a month. The club, currently third in the inland stream, has its sights set on the premier league.
Brookstone said: ‘The cup could interfere with our qualifying for the premiership, but I believe we have a quality coach in Owen da Gama to keep the players focused on the title.â€
He says his squad has never before had to fight two simultaneous battles (challenge for the Absa Cup and promotion to the premiership) and this will be a test of the players’ character and depth.