- Orlando Pirates coach Josef Zinnbauer says the pressure to win the MTN8 is there for all the teams in the tournament.
- Pirates start their title defence on Saturday when they host Soweto rivals Swallows FC.
- Zinnbauer expects Swallows to come hard at them after both league games were drawn last season.
Orlando Pirates coach Josef Zinnbauer says the MTN8 remains an in-demand trophy for teams despite the tournament taking place at the start of the season.
Pirates broke a six-year trophy drought by beating Bloemfontein Celtic in the final last season, but their defence will start against Soweto rivals Swallows FC on Saturday.
Pirates' league campaign faltered badly despite the acquisition of several quality players, embellishing their early season success.
Zinnbauer said the original Soweto Derby is a game they needed to win.
"We won the MTN8 last year and yes, we want to win this title again and all the other teams want to win it too," Zinnbauer said.
"We have a home game that we want to win. It does form part of the pre-season and we have a lot good players, but some players do need a little bit more time."
Innocent Maela, Thembinkosi Lorch, Zakhele Lepasa and Tshegofatso Mabasa won't be available for Pirates, but this isn't a train smash for Zinnbauer.
Zinnbauer said they've had a better pre-season to prepare for this game and he's also wiser for his experiences with Pirates.
"At the end the day, it is the result that counts and last season, we didn't have much in terms of a pre-season," Zinnbauer said.
"We had a lot of players coming back late to us while some players came back with injuries from other clubs and national duty.
"I think we have fitter players this season, more information on how we can play and more competition in the team.
"I also have more experience in terms of coaching in South Africa, so I think we're heading in a good direction."
Pirates and Swallows played to entertaining draws last season, but the nature of cup footballs means there will have to be a winner.
Pirates also have two players on loan at Swallows in Austin Muwowo and Monnapule Saleng. This isn't something Zinnbauer is fearful of, but he wants his team to focus on themselves.
"Swallows was a very good team who had a very good style. They were close to the top and look, they're a good team," Zinnbauer said.
"If Saleng can improve in this team, it could be good, but the focus is not on him now. It is on my team."