Black Leopards coach Vladislav Heric has a trick or two up his sleeve when his first-division outfit take on the country’s richest Premier Soccer League (PSL) side Mamelodi Sundowns in the second round of the Nedbank Cup at the Orlando Stadium on Sunday. Kick-off is at 3pm.
Heric, admitting the big spending Brazilians are the overwhelming favourites, said he was planning a surprise for the Premier League runners up.
Heric stunned Sundowns in 2008, the year he guided Bay United to promotion to the PSL, when he managed to score two victories over Downs in the Telkom Knockout and the Premiership that year.
“I will use similar tactics to those I employed when I coached Bay United and managed to beat Sundowns against the odds twice in a week,” said Heric who resigned from Bay near the end of 2008 and the Port Elizabeth-based side were relegated at the end of the 2009 season.
But, to beat the odds this time, the Serbian born Heric realises he will have to lift his players’ morale after they narrowly missed promotion to the PSL earlier this month losing on penalties to Mpumalanga Black Aces.
Game of their lives
Leopards were beaten by Aces in a heartbreaking penalty shoout-out when the sides were deadlocked after the promotion/relegation final.
Said Heric: “My players were flat against Aces and I have a big job to lift the players mentally. But the players know they have nothing to lose and are determined to go for it and give Sundowns the game of their lives.”
Heric said he was happy his twin strikers, Lethola Mofokeng and Josef Lekata, were back to lead the attack against Sundowns.
“Having both strikers back will make a big difference to our chances of upsetting Sundowns.”
He also has his Malawian contingent of captain Peter Mponda, Robert Ng’ambi, Fisher Kondwe and Patrick Matawali bringing some more experience to the squad.
“We have experience and if the players’ minds are on the job then anything is possible. Do not write off Leopards causing a huge upset.”
Heric said he had huge respect for Sundowns, who are without their nine Bafana Bafana players on duty in Germany on a training camp.
“With players such as Esrom Nyandoro, Lerato Chabangu, Benedict Vilakazi and Matthew Pattison, Sundowns have a superb bunch of players so good they could beat Bafana.”
Pattison must wonder why he was missed by Bafana head coach Carlos Alberto Parreira when he named his squad to Brazil in March and Germany this month for special training. The former Newcastle United and Norwich City stalwart has been outstanding since joining Downs at the start of the season.
But Parreira has not seen too many PSL matches since returning to take charge of the national squad last November and Pattison is not fazed about Bafana or Parreira.
Winning trophies
“I am here to help Sundowns win trophies and hopefully we will end the season winning the Nedbank Cup,” said the player.
Pattison said Leopards would get plenty of respect from him and his teammates.
“I watched them during the promotion play-offs and they are a fast, skilful side. We saw that lower league clubs cannot be underestimated when we played Ireland United in the last round. United made us work hard for that win (3-1) and we are gearing up for a real battle against Leopards.”
Aces play fellow first division side Winners Park in Sunday’s other cup showdown at the University of Limpopo (3pm).
Orlando Pirates are the favourites to reach the quarterfinals when they host Vodacom League third-division side Als Puk Tawana at the Orlando Stadium on Saturday night (8.15pm).
In Saturday’s other cup clash BidVest Wits entertain Thanda Royal Zulu at Milpark. Kick-off is at 3pm. – Sapa