Kaze calls for courage as Sekhukhune United face Orlando Pirates in MTN8 semi-final

Sekhukhune United coach Cedric Kaze says his side must show greater courage when they face four-time defending champions Orlando Pirates in the MTN8 semi-final.

The first leg takes place at Old Peter Mokaba Stadium on Saturday at 15:00, with the return match scheduled for the following weekend. The tie offers Kaze an early opportunity to compete for silverware while continuing to settle into his new role at Sekhukhune.

Kaze took charge of the club during the current transfer window after leaving Kaizer Chiefs. He initially joined Chiefs as an assistant to Nasreddine Nabi before ending his time there as co-coach alongside Khalil Ben Youssef.

The Burundi coach had already built an extensive coaching background before arriving at Chiefs. His experience includes two and a half years at the FC Barcelona Academy, as well as head-coaching positions in domestic football in Burundi, Rwanda and Tanzania.

Kaze says returning to the top job has not presented a major challenge, although adapting to a new club structure remains an ongoing process.

“It’s not the first time. I have been a head coach for a number of years before,” replied Kaze when asked about the various coaching roles he has held in the PSL since arriving two years ago. “It’s nothing new for me. It’s been a good transition into the new team, setup, and environment with new management.

“I am learning on the task. As a coach, you learn every day, including from the people you work with.”

Sekhukhune finished fifth in the league last season, but Kaze was unwilling to prioritise either improving that position or winning the MTN8.

“If you ask me to choose between the two, it’s like asking a parent to choose between his daughter and son. I love both,” Kaze said. “We want to compete in all competitions.

“It’s also a realistic question because you can face challenges like squad depth, which means you might struggle to compete across every front. But we want to do as much as we can to give ourselves a chance in both.”

The task is complicated by Orlando Pirates’ recent dominance of the competition. The Soweto club are the reigning champions and have lifted the Wafa Wafa cup in each of the past four seasons.

Pirates will also have a scheduling advantage after Saturday’s match in Polokwane. They are due to host Sekhukhune in a midweek league fixture at Orlando Amstel Arena before welcoming them back for the second MTN8 semi-final next Saturday.

Sekhukhune have already faced one of Pirates’ major Soweto rivals this season. They lost 2-0 away to Kaizer Chiefs, Kaze’s former employers, but the coach does not believe that result necessarily means his players will have learned the right lessons for the next challenge.

“I didn’t like that game,” Kaze said. “I made sure the players were aware of that. I thought we played without courage; we played with the handbrake on. I didn’t recognise a team with the personality to step up and challenge their opponent.

“The response was very good against Polokwane City (where we won 2-0). I hope that on Saturday we will have a positive attitude and mindset, knowing when to press high and manage all those key moments.”