Bucs must beat the Mswenko Boys on Saturday to end their 14-year wait for a league title.
After missing out on a chance to put one hand on the Betway Premiership trophy in front of their home fans when they were held to a goalless draw by Durban City last week, Orlando Pirates will get a second bite at the title when they meet ORBIT College FC this coming weekend.
The Buccaneers currently sit two points behind log leaders and defending champions Mamelodi Sundowns on the Betway Premiership log with 66 points from 29 matches. Sundowns have 68 points from 30 games.
The equation is therefore simple for Pirates. They must beat the Mswenko Boys at Mbombela Stadium on Saturday at 3pm to end their 14-year wait for a league title. Otherwise, Sundowns will lift a ninth record championship since the 2017/18 season.
Even though they go into this encounter as favourites, victory is not guaranteed for the Buccaneers especially against an ORBIT side that is desperate for survival in the Betway Premiership.
ORBIT’s relegation fight is not entirely in their hands. As it stands, they are 15th on the log and are on course to go to the promotion/relegation playoffs. A point against Orlando Pirates, however, will, at the very least, ensure that they do not finish bottom of the table and suffer automatic relegation. A win will ensure they remain in the elite league next season.
‘It will not be easy’
Pirates coach Abdeslam Ouaddou is expecting a tough encounter against ORBIT, but is confident that his team will lift the Betway Premiership trophy on Saturday.
“I’m really confident, and my players should be confident as well. We hope to give happiness and joy to our fans But it will not be easy. We are playing against a team trying to save their position in the PSL. But let’s go and grab it, it is a big challenge,” said Ouaddou.
Ouaddou is banking on his energetic young squad to get them over the line on Saturday.
“I think we have the third youngest team in the PSL. So, you have an advantage of having a young team, there’s freshness and a lot of qualities. But sometimes there’s a disadvantage when dealing with these kinds of games of pressure.
“When you have a young team, you need to keep working. So, I hope that we will respond against Orbit College,” added the Moroccan.
Meanwhile, due to the loan agreement between the sides, ORBIT will be without defender Yanga Madiba and influential midfielder Thuso Moleleki, who are both on loan from Pirates.
The duo didn’t feature for ORBIT in the reverse fixture, which the Soweto giants won 1-0 in August last year.
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