" I think Wits will be working on their defence, their attack is good but they will be working on their defence.

Aaron Mokoena (Bidvest Wits Captain)

“We don’t want to spend a lot of energy talking about the game but come Friday night, we hope to have energy reserved and use it on the pitch. Sometimes talking too much doesn’t help.

They mentioned that our defence is shaky, we are just going to go out there and try to keep a clean sheet. If we can do that, then it could win us the game.”

Erwin Isaacs (Bidvest Wits Forward)

“Against Chiefs, we are expecting a tough game and I can't say that we will beat them. We will see on Friday. I can’t say much but we will see how things go on the day. “

Onyekachi Okonkwo (Orlando Pirates midfielder)

“We are the defending champions, so we need to defend this trophy. We are very confident that we can win the first game of the competition but we will take one step at a time.

“I play well with (Andile) Jali and Oupa (Manyisa) but we have only played four matches together so I can’t really say we are the best midfield combination, but they are quality players.”

Thabo Mongalo (Black Leopards striker)

“Looking at our performance at the moment, we are playing very well and I think that if we beat them, then we can go all the way to the final.”

“It is always going to be difficult, especially if you look at our past record against Pirates. They have a great record against us and we have always struggled against them.”

Patrick Phungwayo (Orlando Pirates defender)

“We just had a team building session, so obviously all the guys are happy and mentally ready. We needed the break and I can say that after the team building session, everybody is relaxed and ready for the match.”

“We don’t have any pressure right now. We have been also doing well ourselves, hence we are second on the log.”

“We should try winning each and every game that comes; it’s not only about the cup but the other three trophies that are still up for grabs.”

“Titles are important for the fans as this will give them the bragging rights, especially this one as are the defending champions.”

Vincent Mabusela (Black Leopards defender)

“When you playing against Orlando Pirates, know that you don’t have home ground advantage. They have supporters all over South Africa, so for us, it’s the same as playing them in Johannesburg. We know that we expecting most of their supporters at the stadium but I believe that if we are ready, we can disappoint them and anything can happen from our side.”

“We needed the international break because we had injuries in the team. Some of the guys have recovered. We have used it effectively and come weekend, the team will be ready for the encounter.”

“We can cause an upset on Saturday night. Both teams play in the PSL regardless of how big the other club is. It’s a PSL team vs. a PSL team, so it’s just a case of believing in ourselves.”

To view the TKO pre match gallery click here