Baroka caretaker coach Foster Hlongwane: With the right mentality we can beat Orlando Pirates

The Motsepe Foundation Championship side are currently in eighth place on the 202425 league standings with six wins from their opening 18 games.

They secured their last 16 place with a 3-0 win over Umvoti in the round of 32 and head into Saturday'stie on the back of a hard-fought 1-1 league draw with University of Pretoria last time out.

Ahead of the weekend's game, Hlongwane expressed Baroka's desire to prove their credentials amid hopes of a top-flight return, having been relegated in the 2021/22 campaign, and with the memory of their 2018 victry over Orlando Pirates in the Telkom Knockout final.

Hlongwane said in the Citizen: "We spoke about it (the 2028 win), we addressed it to the players. We looked at the personalities that were there and what we could take from that. Those guys were willing to die for each other, they were willing to make a mark for themselves.

"If you look at all the players, it changes the status of their careers and their families and the badge which is the club. So, it is not only about us, it is about how well we want to be remembered.

"We heard the cries of the chairman [Khurishi Mphahlele] and our supporters, they want this team to be in the Premiership and to do well in this cup and gain momentum. So, we have to go into this match with a positive mindset and strong mentality."

Hlongwane added: "The most important thing in football is how you prepare. If you look at Pirates and us we have similarities in terms of playing structure.

"It's who wants it the most on the day. If you look at Baroka and Pirates, they have this history, the Telkom Knockout. And there was another match where we stole it in the dying minutes, so there is that history between the two clubs it's all about who wants it the most.

“The cup games are all about who starts on the front foot. If you go to Orlando and give yourself that chance in terms of matching them for the efforts, with the right attitude and right mentality. Working hard as a team and suffering as a group, I think anything is possible.”