Johannesburg — ORLANDO Pirates' No1 goalkeeper, Moeneeb Josephs, insisted yesterday that the underachieving side's fortunes would change this season as club chairman Irvin Khoza was finally back to run the Bucs after spending years with the 2010 Soccer World Cup organising committee.

Josephs said Khoza's visibility at the club since the end of the World Cup in June had had a huge effect on the players and they were all determined to end a cup drought that is now a decade old.

"It is always nice to see more of him around," Josephs said.

"There is a new hunger because he is more visible now. And besides, we have more quality in the team now and we want to win something this season."

Pirates supporters have had to endure jibes from their Kaizer Chiefs and Mamelodi Sundowns counterparts for years as the Bucs have not won a cup competition since their former coach, Gordon Igesund, led the side to the BP Top 8 in 2000.

They have fared far better in the league as their last ascent to the winners' podium was in 2003 with Zimbabwean Roy Baretto at the helm. Baretto proved to be a huge jinx as the club has not won any official silverware since his departure only 13 months into a three-year contract in October 2003.

Josephs said they hoped to change these embarrassing statistics and the road to redemption gets under way when Pirates tackle traditional rivals Kaizer Chiefs in a first-leg semifinal of the MTN8 at Soccer City tomorrow night.

"It is a massive, massive game and we are all looking forward to it," Josephs said. "This is one of the biggest games in world football and it is so big that it divides the country right down the middle.

"At the end of the day the team that wants it more will triumph. And I believe that the team that wants it the most is Orlando Pirates."

Chiefs midfielder Abia Nale said he had his own personal battle to overcome whenever Amakhosi face Pirates. Nale is a product of Pirates' highly rated development programme and he said facing his former club was always emotional.

"I would love to score against Pirates because I know my background and where I am coming from. I spent years there and coming up against them is always something special for me. I hope I am able to score against them."

Both sides failed to win their midweek league matches but, surprisingly, Chiefs coach Vladimir Vermezovic was more enthusiastic than Pirates counterpart Rudi Krol.

"I am satisfied with my team and my players are fit," a beaming Vermezovic said after his charges drew 1-1 with Maritzburg United in Pietermaritzburg on Wednesday night.

Krol, on the other hand, said he could not see any redeeming characteristics from his side's 0-0 draw with Free State Stars.

"It is a real pity if you create so many chance and still fail to score," the fiery Dutchman said.

"I am happy that we are at least creating the chances but I am not happy with the finishing.

"I do not know where this (poor finishing) is coming from because SA had a lot of good strikers in the 1990s. Maybe development is really failing us."

The Premier Soccer League (PSL) announced yesterday that nearly 50000 tickets for the Soweto Derby had been sold so far.

The stadium is expected to be sold out by the time the match gets under way at 8.15pm.

Moroka Swallows play Ajax Cape Town in the second semifinal, at the Athlone Stadium on Sunday.

This encounter has generated little publicity and Swallows coach Rainer Zobel ensured that there would be even less attention on the tie when he snubbed the media in Germiston yesterday.

Zobel cancelled a scheduled media day without informing the club or the PSL.