Love match at Bucs

It is just a little over two months since Julio Leal took over at Orlando Pirates - and the Brazilian coach has never been happier.

Leal returned to coaching in July after a two-year absence, and yesterday he described his hardships at AmaZulu, the first South African club he coached, and Moroka Swallows, his previous club.

While his key players listened attentively at the Rand Stadium yesterday, Leal proclaimed his affection for them and the club, saying he was "the happiest man in the world - and it has only been two months".

In that short time, Leal is preparing for his third Soweto derby against Kaizer Chiefs. This time it is the MTN8 final on Saturday.

The Pirates coach spoke about how his life had improved since he was introduced to South African football in 2007.

His first task was to save Amazulu from relegation, then he helped Swallows win the Nedbank Cup in 2009 before he was surprisingly fired by the Dube Birds.

Leal, brother of Bafana assistant coach Jairo Leal, said career highlights would not get better than coaching Pirates and playing against Chiefs in a cup final.

"My players need to understand how important this game is to me. It is the most important in my life since I started coaching," he said.

"I am having the best time of my life at Pirates and I understand the pressure and the need to defend three trophies [Pirates are Top 8, Nedbank Cup and Absa Premiership champions]. We have enough quality to pull it off."

Leal said he had spent two of the club's training sessions so far this week making his players aware of how he felt about Saturday's clash.

"They need to retain the trophy [not only] because they are the defending champions, but also for me," said the coach.

"No one can really say Chiefs or Pirates are favourites to win. At this stage there's a 50/50 chance we will win. But if we do our job well, we will be able to transform the half-chance to 100%."

Leal's confidence ahead of the Top 8 final is understandable. He has already won a cup, with Swallows, when he did not even have the quality of players he has now.

"As the quality increases, the chances of winning more trophies also grow. The players become more confident in their ability," he said.

Asked which areas of the team he was focusing on ahead of the match, Leal said it was in midfield.

"Both teams are stronger in midfield. And that is where the game will be won. We just need to apply pressure during the game and not make a lot of noise during the week," he said.