After the 1-1 draw with the Kaizer Chiefs, Manchester United take on Orlando Pirates next, in a game which will be shown on Setanta Sports tomorrow evening.
United lost out on penalties the last time they played in the Vodacom Challenge tournament, with Ben Foster, United goalkeeper, seeing his attempt come back off the crossbar.
Last season, Tottenham Hotspur won the competition after beating the Pirates in the final. United will be hoping to get a victory here before playing in the final on Saturday.
Rio Ferdinand is set to play his first game of the pre-season, and Ryan Giggs is definitely up for it.
After recovering from a back problem, Sir Alex Ferguson expects Ferdinand to play from the start tomorrow.
“Rio trained yesterday,” said Fergie. “He wasn’t so stiff, and if he trains well today he will certainly start tomorrow. He’s missed two games now and he’ll want to get back into the action. I think it’s important that he starts tomorrow.”
Ryan Giggs, competitive as ever, is hoping for victory, claiming United need to get in the habit of winning before the proper season starts.
“The results here in South Africa aren’t the be all and end all,” he said. “Generally, the idea is to get fit and come through the games with no injuries. But winning is still important. We didn’t win the tournament last time we were here in 2006 [so we’d like to make up for that]. Besides, you want to get into the habit of winning games as soon as possible.”
Which line-up do you expect Ferguson to put out against the Orlando Pirates?
------------
The RoM Manchester United 2024-25 season preview is now available. It includes articles from the country's best football writers about our expectations for the season ahead and our brightest talents, as well as proposed transfer business and which youth players to keep an eye out for. All profit goes to The Christie so please support this fantastic cause.
