African Stars FC head coach Gerald Günther has insisted that his team will respect Orlando Pirates when they meet in the CAF Champions League, but they will not be intimidated by the South African champions.

African Stars are preparing for a difficult challenge against Pirates in the second preliminary round of the competition. The Namibian club will be hoping to compete strongly against the Soweto giants and give themselves a chance of progressing to the next stage.

Günther was appointed as African Stars head coach on a two-year contract less than a month ago. He took over from Ronnie Kanalelo, who guided the team to this stage of the competition before leaving to join Marumo Gallants.

Despite having limited time to work with the players, Günther believes his team is making good progress in preparation for the match. The 46-year-old is experienced in Namibian football, having spent more than 20 years coaching several clubs in the country, as well as the Namibia Under-17 national team.

However, the meeting with Pirates will be his first test in the second preliminary round of the CAF Champions League. The match will give him an opportunity to measure his team against one of the strongest clubs in South African football.

Speaking to New Era Live before African Stars travelled from Namibia to Botswana, Günther said the players were working hard and approaching the match with the right attitude.

“Preparation is going very well; the boys are working hard, the mindset is in the right place, and we did some positive work back in Windhoek, and we are currently continuing the work here,” Günther said.

The coach believes his players must approach the game with confidence instead of allowing Pirates' reputation to affect their performance. While he recognises the quality of the South African side, he wants African Stars to believe they can compete.

“We can’t allow ourselves to be fearful; we need to respect the opponent, but definitely not show any fear,” he added.

Günther also explained that African Stars would need to make things difficult for Pirates throughout the match. His team will aim to put the visitors under pressure, force them to defend and remain organised whenever they do not have possession.

“We need to make sure that we try and keep Pirates on their back foot, make them defend and make sure that we are organised in our defensive structure,” he said.

African Stars will need discipline and concentration if they want to achieve a positive result against Pirates. They will also have to take their chances when opportunities come their way, as the South African side will be looking to establish an advantage in the first leg.

Pirates will enter the contest aiming to progress further in the competition, but Günther has made it clear that African Stars will not approach the encounter with fear.

Source: IDiskiTimes