African Stars coach Gunther says Orlando Pirates must be respected, not feared

African Stars FC head coach Gerald Gunther says his side will respect Orlando Pirates in their CAFCL second preliminary round first leg, but will not allow the South African champions to intimidate them.

Gunther believes African Stars must make Pirates uncomfortable throughout the match by forcing them to defend and maintaining a disciplined defensive structure.

“Preparation is going very well; the boys are working hard, the mindset is in the right place, and we did some positive work back in Windhoek, and we are currently continuing the work here,” Gunther told New Era Live before the team left Namibia for Botswana.

“We can’t allow ourselves to be fearful; we need to respect the opponent, but definitely not show any fear.

“We need to make sure that we try and keep Pirates on their back foot, make them defend and make sure that we are organised in our defensive structure.”

The 46-year-old was appointed African Stars head coach less than a month ago on a two-year contract, following the departure of Ronnie Kanalelo.

Kanalelo guided the Namibian club to the CAFCL second preliminary round before leaving to join Marumo Gallants.

The appointment represents Gunther’s first test in the CAFCL second preliminary round first leg, despite his extensive experience in Namibian football.

He has spent more than 20 years coaching in the country, working with several clubs as well as the Namibia U17 national team.

Gunther said the squad had made encouraging progress during its preparations in Windhoek and was continuing that work after arriving in Botswana.

His emphasis is on ensuring African Stars remain organised without surrendering initiative to Orlando Pirates. The Namibian side will aim to prevent the champions from settling into the game by putting them under pressure and making them defend for sustained periods.

The fixture will therefore provide an early examination of Gunther’s preparations since taking charge, as African Stars face the team that won the South African championship.