Orlando Pirates defender Tapelo Xoki believes their recent run of good form will not count for much when they face rivals Kaizer Chiefs in a do-or-die Nedbank Cup final.
The Sea Robbers are set to lock horns with their fiercest rivals, in the form of Chiefs, at a sold-out Moses Mabhida Stadium on Saturday.
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On paper, Jose Riveiro's men are the overwhelming favourites, having already beaten the men in Gold and Black twice this season. Additionally, Pirates have lost just one of their last five league matches.
The Naturena-based outfit, on the other hand, are winless in seven Betway Premiership encounters but will draw confidence from their Nedbank Cup semi-final win over Mamelodi Sundowns.
Bucs' vice-captain Xoki is adamant that the numbers will not matter when the two titans take to the grass on Saturday.
"History doesn’t play these games. For us, it’s important that we are ourselves on the day," he said at a media open day on Thursday.
"We can’t play the occasion, but we need to play the match itself.
"We have prepared well and we have done our analysis, so what matters now is to execute that analysis and the plan we have prepared.
"We can’t look at the recent success because it doesn’t play on the day, but our attitude and application will do the most talking on the day if we want results," continued the lanky defender.
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A win for Ezimnyama Ngenkani will mean a third consecutive Nedbank Cup title, while for Chiefs it mark the end of a trophy drought that reached 10 years on Friday, 9 May.
Kick off is at 15:30.
