Johannesburg - Former Orlando Pirates goalkeeper Brighton Mhlongo has sent a stern warning to his former teammate Happy Jele and the rest of his charges to adopt the right mentality going into their Caf Confederation Cup final on Friday.
Pirates have a great chance of salvaging something from what has been a below par season with an opportunity at continental level against Moroccan side Berkane at the Uyo Stadium in Nigeria.
Mhlongo spent six years at Pirates between 2011 and 2017 and was on the bench for both the Caf Champions League final in 2013 and the 2015 edition of the Caf Confederation Cup.
The 31-year-old, a staunch supporter of the black and white cross-bones congratulated his former club, but issued words of motivation ahead of their final while speaking to Thabo Mosia on SAfm.
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"The team needs to have the right mentality and be able to manage the game the right way and at the same time because their North African opponents definitely know how to do that," he said.
"I think emotional intelligence is going to be key in the final. The mistake we made against Etoile in 2015 is that we scored too early and got excited.
"Nobody will remember the runners-up. As much as we love watching a good brand of football, the results matter more.
Caf competitions have changed since the last time Mhlongo was a part of it, and he believes competing in a once-off final adds the right edge for players rather than the previous editions that were contested over two legs.
"It also helps that this final is one leg, instead of two matches. The once-off final tells you to make the most of this opportunity while you have it, because you might never get it again," he expressed.
"I hope they win it for the chairman who needs another continental trophy. I’m also for Happy Jele ‘cos just like me, he has two silver medals from 2013 and 2015.”