Innocent Maela eyes season trophy double

The two meet in the season finale of South Africa's top flight at a sold-out Loftus Versfeld stadium, with Maela looking to add to the MTN8 trophy from earlier in the season. Pirates last accomplished this feat under Lucky Lekgwathi in 2011/2012, when they won a second treble. Maela, a Pirates development product, says this is an occasion this group will appreciate. 

"I've been with Orlando Pirates for the longest time now, but when I sit at home reflecting on the journey that I've been through with the club, this is a moment for me to be proud. Right [though] now we talk about the team, the people next to me and I want all of us to be happy at the end of the day", he shared with reporters.

"As the leader of the group I just want my brothers to be joyful and preparing for a cup final doesn't get any better than that."

Maela was a member of the Bucs team stunned by Baroka FC in the Telkom Knockout final in Gqeberha in 2017. He understands how to deal with overconfidence going into the last match.  

"There are a lot of things you can't control in a match. For us as players, we need to make sure we prepare as hard as we can, we make sure that every opportunity we get to score a goal we take it. When you compare the 2018 final I believe the team played really well, we gave it our all and at the end of the day, it wasn't meant to be.

"Coming into this final we have an opportunity to rectify that, we have another opportunity to play another final with this group and it's to go out there and compete as best as we can. At the end of the day, God will decide who needs the trophy and hopefully, He favours us." 

Sekhukhune United and Ghanaian international defender Edwin Gyimah, who was part of the team that lost to Baroka in the TKO, scored against Pirates in the one-all draw. But Maela doesn’t believe that history will have any bearing on Saturday. 

This will be the third encounter between the two clubs this season, with both teams winning once and drawing the most recent in the DStv Premiership.  The two will face off in next season’s MTN8, but Maela has assured everyone there will be on top of their game.

"[Our job] is to make sure that we train hard and we don't get complacent. Each and every player, we train hard and we push ourselves. And if we do that, the game will take care of itself. The coaches make sure everyone gives their all at training, we push each other so that we get better.

"And I think it will help us playing the same team in the next two matches."