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ORLANDO Pirates coach Eric Tinkler has offered advice to the teams that will be taking part in continental competitions this weekend. Mamelodi Sundowns and Kaizer Chiefs will fly the South African flag in the Caf Champions League with their trips to Zimbabwe and Comoros respectively, while Ajax Cape Town and Bidvest Wits travel to Angola and Seychelles in the Caf Confederation Cup.

Of the four men who will be at the helm of those clubs, only Roger de Sa of Ajax has reached the final of the Champions League, while Chiefs coach Steve Komphela is making his debut, and Wits mentor Gavin Hunt has never reached the group stage.

The furthest Sundowns coach Pitso Mosimane has gone is the group stages, when he did so with SuperSport United.
Tinkler guided the Buccaneers to the final of the Confederation Cup last year, where they lost to Tunisian giants Etoile du Sahel.

The club’s biggest challenge was balancing their domestic run as well as Confederation Cup campaign, with the hangover of reaching the final still felt by the club as they struggle in the Absa Premiership.

“It’s part and parcel of the modern game,” Tinkler told Vodacom Soccer.
“You want to be successful both in Africa and here at home, you need to be able to adapt to those circumstances.

“That’s what I have always explained to the players, that you can’t just focus on one and ignore the other. Unfortunately that has happened to us, to a degree.

“That’s what’s important, being able to put on consistent performances both in Africa and do the same at home. You have to ensure that all your travel arrangements are booked and making sure that the players get enough rest as possible.
“That’s not easy. Mentally you need to be prepared for it.” — Sport24.