Pirates wary of in-form Milford FC in Carling Knockout opener

Orlando Pirates head coach Abdeslam Ouaddou believes the Carling Knockout draw has reinforced his earlier warning about Milford FC, who have made an impressive start to life in the top flight.

Pirates were paired with Milford in the opening round of the competition, having already beaten the KwaZulu-Natal club 2-0 in their first meeting of the season. Despite that result, Ouaddou singled out the promoted side as one of the teams likely to provide a difficult challenge.

Eight matches later, Milford are fifth in the table with three wins, three draws and two defeats. Their 12 points have confirmed Ouaddou’s assessment, and he expects their cup tie to be a demanding contest.

“Since we played them, they have a positive energy; they are well-coached, they are well-organised, they have this energy, this power that they brought from the promotion, and they can run. So that’s why it’s really difficult to play against that team,” said Ouaddou.

Pirates facing demanding title defence

Pirates are the holders of the Carling Knockout after beating Marumo Gallants 1-0 in last season’s final. Ouaddou was part of the team that won the trophy and knows retaining it will be difficult given the club’s other commitments.

Alongside their cup defence, Pirates are competing in the CAF Champions League and are also aiming to mount a strong challenge to retain their league title. The prospect of managing those demands adds to the size of the task facing the club.

Another notable first-round tie will see Kruger United take on AmaZulu. The match brings together two coaches with a long-standing connection from the streets of Soweto.

AmaZulu head coach Arthur “1011” Zwane played an influential role in the development of Kruger United counterpart Abram Mongoya. Mongoya will therefore be familiar with the challenge posed by Zwane’s team, who have been among the league’s in-form sides.

Kruger United, however, have found their first season in the elite division difficult. They have collected four points from their opening seven matches, losing five of them.

That record could suggest the club are struggling to adjust to top-flight football, but Mongoya has rejected that interpretation. He believes the difficulties are understandable after Kruger recruited 21 players and expected them to adapt to a new team and a higher level of competition in a short period.