The battle lines were drawn this week by the Maritzburg United contingent as they get ready to give their all to make history for the club in Saturday's Telkom Knockout (TKO) final.
Here are some of the best quotes leading up to the showdown with Mamelodi Sundowns at the Moses Mabhida on Saturday evening (6pm kick off):
Midfielder Keegan Buchanan
“It’s a chance for players to prove themselves‚ prove their worth and show that they deserve a trophy.
"I don’t think there will be any stage fright. I think there will be more excitement than anything else.
“We’re going to war...Both teams have quality players and quality coaches. So it’s all about who wants it more.
“We have the hunger of not having won a cup. There’s a reason why we went through fighting relegation last season to the final this season. I feel like come Saturday‚ we can just show that we want it more.”
Midfielder Bandile Shandu
“Please carry on coming in numbers,” he appealed to the Team of Choice faithful, “we will work very hard to give something back to the fans – they truly, truly deserve it, the way they stuck by us last season. To give them this silverware would mean a huge amount to them.”
“I think from the Nedbank Cup final‚ you grow as a player and as a person. You know the mistakes that you’ve done and I think what matters is bouncing back from those mistakes and not letting those things happen again."
Central defender and club captain Nazeer Allie
“It’s 50/ 50 on the day – it’s about who wants it more, who can come up with individual brilliance, who can take their chances. Who’s prepared to go that extra mile and put their bodies on the line.
“I want to be part of the history at Maritzburg United, so hopefully we can do that on Saturday,”
Central defender Rushine De Reuck
“I am happy to play in the second final in my third season in the PSL,” he told New Frame. “This is an opportunity that does not usually happen to other players.
“I am looking forward to it. We are playing a big team, we don’t need any motivation. We just need to show up and play our best game. It’s a final. It won’t be easy, but anything is possible in football. I am hoping we will come back with the cup, the first in the history of Maritzburg.”
Head coach Eric Tinkler
“For me it’s been important that the players enjoy the week leading up to the final, to celebrate it to a degree, because it’s been a hard road to get to the final. The sprit in training has been really good and hopefully they will come out on Saturday highly motivated to get the positive result.
"We know we are playing against, in my opinion one of the best teams on the African continent, extremely strong team, successful club, African champions.
“But we have to have the belief that we can turn them over. That’s very important for us. We have to know we are going in to a massive battle, and Mamelodi Sundowns are a team with a lot of very talented footballers.
“If we are well prepared tactically and are prepared to work hard for one another, then we stand a good chance, a great chance. But you’ve got to be prepared to work for 120 minutes, to be tactically disciplined….If you give them any little chance, you know you are going to get punished.”
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