Tinkler Looks To Turn Mazembe's Fans Against Them

Eric Tinkler and his side are primed for a hostile atmosphere when they head to Stade TP Mazembe today, although he does think that his side have a chance at grabbing a result.   Read: Tinkler Takes Measures To Deal With Mazembe Pitch   SuperSport take on TP Mazembe this afternoon at 15h30 in the Democratic Republic of Congo, coming up against the Congolese giants of Lubumbashi for the second time this year.   While a victory isn't vital in the first leg of the CAF Confederation Cup, it would certainly put either side in the driving seat if they were to get one, and Tinkler believes thinks that his team will thrive under the pressure.   Speaking to the Siya crew in Lubumbashi, he said, "It's always going to be packed. They always get a good turnout, but it's no different to what they have faced against Club Africain. You're going to have a full stadium, it's a very compact and very good football stadium, a proper one. It's only the artificial pitch that's the problem.   "I think playing in front of big crowds motivates the players even if they're not their own fans. We've experienced that in South Africa when players play against Chiefs or Pirates in a packed stadium.   "What we do know about their fans is that, similarly to some of ours, when things aren't going well they'll turn on the team and we need to try and take advantage of that."   Meanwhile, in his pre-game press conference, Tinkler heaped praise on the opposition's impressive history, though admitted that they aren't the force they used to be.   "It's a club that's been in 11 finals in CAF competitions, but I think at the moment they're not as strong as they used to be. If we go back two or three years they were a lot stronger. We're backing ourselves. I believe I have a great team with players that want to achieve and win things."