Tinkler out to upset former employers

The  Citizens will host the Buccaneers at the DHL Stadium on Tuesday night (19:30  kick-off) with a return fixture scheduled just four days later in Soweto.

Tinkler’s troops will be looking to cause an upset, with the Sea Robbers aiming to defend the title that they’ve won back-to-back in the past two campaigns.

The match promises to be played in front of a packed stadium and Tinkler believes that they can leverage that to elevate their team spirit and chances of silencing the Happy People, who are expected to be more than the Blue and Gold  Army.

While acknowledging the strengths of the opponents, the 54-year-old has also pointed out that Pirates’ recent draw against minnows Disciples FC of Madagascar in the  CAF Champions League highlights vulnerabilities that can be exploited.

“They have so many qualities, they have a massive squad to choose from,” said the mentor during the pre-match press conference on Thursday.

“Their preparations have been exceptional, obviously being able to go to Spain and play against the type of opposition they played.

“But at the same time, we saw them drawing away against the team from Madagascar. So,  they do have frailties.

“So,  we’ve got to go out there, we’ve got to have full belief in ourselves.

“We have to know where their strengths lie, they’re a very good team in transition.  In attack, they are a team that likes to build up and play through phases,  playing with technical ability – [Relebohile] Mofokeng, for example in one v one is very, very dangerous.

“So,  we have to be aware of all those factors. I think that’s important, what type of holding midfielder do they play with? Do they go with [Makhehleni] Makhaula or  Miguel Timm, different kinds of players?

“Like  I said before, for me it’s about us being brave, backing ourselves and looking,  especially at home, to play with that positivity and belief and take the game to  them.”