Bloemfontein Celtic winger Deon Hotto says they remain thirsty to make an impact in the Nedbank Cup despite being precariously positioned in the league. Celtic are on the road to Soweto to face Orlando Pirates on Saturday night (20h30) in a game that will be played just three days before they host Highlands Park in a crucial league encounter. Though they have a cup commitments this weekend, the fact that they are just a mere two points from bottom-placed Highlands is what should naturally matter most to them. “We are well aware of our league position but that doesn’t mean we should view the cup as being less important,” Hotto tells KickOff.com.

“The vibe has been good this week ahead of the cup, because this is a game that has a semi-final place at stake and we definitely want to reach the semi-finals. "We are taking it serious because we know too well that victory will do our confidence good heading into the home stretch in the league. "If we win in the cup it will surely rub off well on our confidence in the league, where we still need to gain some points to move up the standings. "So we are still keen on the cup, though, we know that games in the league will also have that cup-final element to them, because we really need to move away from where we are."

The last time they visited Orlando Stadium, Phunya Sele Sele came from 1-0 down to walk away 2-1 victors in a league clash in December last year, with Hotto assisting the winning goal. However, the former Golden Arrows winger has put that night behid him and says they are as motivated as ever, with their approach unchanged heading into Saturday night's tie. “The fact that we beat Orlando Pirates the last time we played them doesn’t mean anything because that is all in the past now. With us, the approach will also remain the same because we are playing against a big team, and playing against the big teams is always a motivation on its own,” says the Namibian international, who has been involved in all 26 games that Siwelele have played this season. “Playing is all about what you put in at training and the coach then being appreciative of the efforts. For me, I push hard at training all the time because I want my efforts to be of benefit to the team at all times,” he concludes.