Ananias Gebhardt’s Baroka FC will face Deon Hotto’s Orlando Pirates tomorrow in an exciting Nedbank Cup last 16 clash at Orlando Stadium. 

The match promises to be an emotional one for Gebhardt, who shares a strong bond with Hotto, his Namibian compatriot. 

“When it was confirmed, we were excited because these are the games you want to be involved in. We are playing Pirates in Orlando, it’s not going to be easy, but we are ready and by God’s grace, we’ll get a positive result. 

“DH, he’s my fellow countryman, and it will be exciting to face him again. We spoke about the weekend’s game, and he was like, “Yeah, you guys are coming to Orlando. I told him, yeah, we’re ready and more than prepared for Saturday. 

“He is a top professional and I will surely catch up with him after the game. I wish him great health,” said Gebhardt, the captain. 

For him and his teammates, a match against a big team like Pirates is a huge motivation. “The youngsters are especially pumped to play against Pirates,” Gebhardt said. “We are more excited than nervous, of course, there will be some butterflies on game day, especially for the younger players, but once we get a few touches, we’ll be fine.” 

Gebhardt recalls Baroka’s 2018 Telkom Knockout final victory. “We fought hard, resisting the pressure, and I am sure Pirates will come well-prepared this time. We watched them play on Saturday and identified areas we can exploit,” he adds. -Additional information from KICKOFF