Whether it’s mind games or not, Orlando Pirates assistant coach Mandla Ncikazi has insisted his team is the underdog against Kaizer Chiefs in the Nedbank Cup final.

The Buccaneers have a date with Amakhosi at Moses Mabhida Stadium on Saturday (15h30).

Chiefs have lost five games in a row to Pirates, but Ncikazi is adamant that Pirates can’t be considered favourites.

“We know we are playing against a very good team, Kaizer Chiefs,” Ncikazi told journalists at the pre-match press conference.

“Currently, they have scored 14 goals (in the Nedbank Cup). I think they are the top scorers. They’ve only conceded two. So, it’s not going to be an easy match, but as usual, we will play this match to try and win,” he stated.

“Please allow me to make a small correction: we are not the favourites. Being a favourite is very subjective. It depends on how you look at it.

“One, Chiefs were the last winners in a cup final that we last played between the two teams. Secondly, Chiefs are a well-rested team if you look at how many games they have played. We have played 48 games (this season), and they have played 34 games,” Ncikazi argued.

“So, we are 14 games ahead of what they’ve played, so they are your well-rested team.

“Coming into this game, we were playing (on Tuesday against Golden Arrows), and Chiefs had a whole week of preparation. So, we don’t want to fall into the fallacy of thinking we are favourites.

“We are not, but Kaizer Chiefs are,” he added.