Orlando Pirates head coach Jose Riveiro has promised to give new signings and fringe players the opportunity to start in the Nedbank Cup clash against Crystal Lake on Saturday.
Bucs have a clean bill of health heading into the tie against the SAFA Mpumalanga representatives.
New signings Thalente Mbatha and Thabiso Lebitso are expected to play a role in this match, and so is the returning Tshegofatso Mabasa who spent the first half of the season on loan at Moroka Swallows.
The defending champions will be without midfield general Miguel Timm for the encounter following his red card in the league showdown against Mamelodi Sundowns.
“Yes we will try and give chances, not because it’s Crystal Lake but we have 34 players, everyone is pushing, the new ones, the old ones, everyone is pushing.
“Hopefully we can see the new players soon, not that we’re looking at the game as some game to test things, but we won’t have Miguel Timm for example, so we’ll see who will take that opportunity for example,” Riveiro explained in the press conference.
Riveiro has cautioned his team to be wary of the amateur side who are unknown quantity. In 2013, The Sea Robbers suffered a humiliating 4-1 defeat at the hands of amateur side Maruti College in the Nedbank Cup.
“We want to replicate what we achieved in this cup last season, but we’re facing an unknown side in the lower league we don’t know much about.
“It’s going to be an important game for Crystal Lake, it wasn’t easy last season against All Stars, Venda FC, and Dondol FC. We know we’re going to a place where there will be a lot of Pirates fans and the expectation will be a good game,” he concluded.
Pirates travel to Mbombela to face the lower-league side on Saturday at 15h00.
