Kaizer Chiefs assistant coach, Cedric Kaze, fielded questions from the media ahead of Saturday’s Nedbank Cup final against Orlando Pirates at Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban.

Mood in the camp

The mood is very good. It is a final that we haven’t played for six years and we know how important this is for the Club, the management and especially for the fans. We know what we have to do on Saturday. We know we have to play the defending champions, but we are confident, and we are preparing to give our best performance.

Approach to the game

I think it will be different to the league game last Saturday. This is a cup game with a trophy waiting at the end of it. It’s simple. We have to be efficient in both boxes, defending well and scoring goals. It is true that a final carries a degree of pressure that can sometimes take the ‘flavour’ out of the beautiful game, because nobody wants to lose, but as I said, we aim to be efficient and get the result.

Overturning five-game losing run against Orlando Pirates

We have played two close games against them this season. A final is a final and the pressure is on them as the favourites. We are happy to come into this game as underdogs.

Extra motivation of possibility of qualifying for CAF Confederation Cup
The beauty of games like this is that there is a need for extra motivation because everyone is already fully motivated. It is a final [of the Nedbank Cup] and it’s a Derby, so motivation is at maximum. In fact, we have to try and calm the mood slightly to prevent the players getting too tense and overhyped. You need a good balance to give a good performance. You have to have a clear head to carry out the game-plan, and play without fear.

Team news

Wandile Duba is back from suspension, while [Bradley] Cross is suspended, from the last game. Other than that, you’ll find out when we name the team.

Fans’ frustration with the team, and certain players

We understand the frustration of the fans, and we share much of it with them, but coming into this game, to use an analogy, it’s like nine months of pregnancy and now it’s time to give birth. The only thing I can say is, the whole Amakhosi Family must show up.

Regarding Mduduzi Shabalala, and the other youngsters that we have, I don’t believe they are responsible for any of our issues. We have lost games because we didn’t do enough to avoid defeat, all of us. Mdu has been important to us all season, particularly in the early stages. We believe that in difficult moments we need to support the player, as it is part of his development and he will learn and benefit from these experiences.