Bay not scared of Bucs
Durban - Absa Premiership rookies Bay United will not allow themselves to be intimidated when they face Orlando Pirates in their first official home league match since having won promotion to the top flight.
United have found the going difficult since they joined the elite of South African club football for the first time in their history, drawing 1-1 with Moroka Swallows in Rustenburg before suffering a 3-0 defeat to Santos in Cape Town.
However, coach Vladislav Heric, who guided the Port Elizabeth outfit to the promised land, is confident that his players will hold their nerve and have the quality to stand up to Pirates at the ERPU Stadium in Port Elizabeth on Sunday.
"We did not compete against Santos. We know what went wrong, and it was a lesson for us," says the Serbian, who hopes to see United fans outnumber Buccaneers supporters on Sunday.
"We drew a massive crowd when we beat FC AK to win promotion at home. The fans here in Port Elizabeth have waited for ever for the team to do well. As this is our first official match at home in the Premier Soccer League, we are looking forward to them packing the stands and giving our players a lot of encouragement."
He added that United officials were happy that the much-criticised EPRU pitch would be in much better condition than when Bafana Bafana played Nigeria in an Africans Nations Cup qualifier three weeks ago. Both sides slated the venue's surface.
Heric predicted that his newcomers would not be afraid of Pirates players' big reputation. "They are like every other team. There is no reason to be scared of them.
"They do have some tremendous players, such as midfielder Teko Modise, who I know well, and some others, but it will be 11 against 11 on Sunday, so I expect my players to rise to the occasion," he said.
"I respect Pirates, but we have worked so hard to get into the Premiership and we intend staying there.
"We know that a win over Pirates at home would really do wonders for morale."
Heric has been on the opponents' bench against Bucs on one occasion. Two years ago, he coached Maritzburg United in the top flight and lost 1-0 at Ellis Park in Johannesburg. "I am hoping this time I will be on the winning side against them," he said.
Pirates have not looked their confident selves to date and, like United, have only one point to show from their first two league outings.
They suffered a shock 2-1 loss away to Golden Arrows on the opening day of the season and then were held to a 0-0 draw by much-improved Wits at Ellis Park.
"Pirates have struggled to score, but they still play top-class soccer, so we are not reading anything into their slow start to the season," said Heric, who would keep his starting line-up under wraps until Sunday.
But it is a given that he will be looking to the experience of strikers Jimmy Zagazaga and Zambian Linos Chalwe to unlock the Bucs defence, while in defence he can call on skipper Duran Francis and former Kaizer Chiefs rightback Cyril Nzama.
Pirates coach Ruud Krol may axe striker Excellent Walaza, who has been firing blanks, to bring in Adriano. The new signing from the Cape Verde came on as a substitute against Wits and looked useful in attack.