Ex-Orlando Pirates coach Papic: Kaizer Chiefs can also score three

Former Orlando Pirates coach Kosta Papic says he would be very surprised if Kaizer Chiefs manage to overcome the Buccaneers and earn a spot in the MTN8 final.

Chiefs meet with Pirates on Sunday at the FNB Stadium and will need to turn around a three-goal deficit, having lost 3-0 last weekend in the first leg semi-final encounter, at the Orlando Stadium.

It would seem that Bucs have all but booked their spot in the final, which will be against either Bloemfontein Celtic or SuperSport United.

But with that said, football has a knack of surprising, and Chiefs can draw inspiration from several great comebacks in world football - for example, Liverpool's 4-3 aggregate win over Barcelona in the Champions League in 2019, the Reds having won the second leg 4-0 after losing 3-0 in Spain.

Key for Amakhosi will be to keep a clean sheet, as Papic has pointed out.

“You know in football everything is possible. They [Pirates] scored three, and Chiefs can score three as well,” the Serbian, who coached at Pirates and also had a short stint at Chiefs, told the Sowetan.

“But if Pirates score a goal, that’s it, and it will be difficult for Chiefs to score five goals.

"I don’t remember in the last 20 years when anyone scored four goals in one derby. In my opinion, Pirates are through to the final.”

Papic warned the Buccaneers not to take anything for granted, although he remains confident that it will be the black and white side of the Soweto divide which will be celebrating on Sunday evening.
 
“Complacency is a major problem for everybody around the world," he said. "When you win the match 3-0, you think you are already gone. I don’t think Pirates will fail to score the goal on Sunday.”

While Chiefs are looking to end a five-year-long wait for a trophy, the Buccaneers have not won silverware in six seasons, since they claimed the Nedbank Cup in 2014.

Pirates last won the top eight competition in 2011.