Orlando Pirates, Thulasizwe Mbuyane, says that although it is disappointing that the team failed to win the league title this season, it should be commended for what it has done.
The Blacks are in second place on the Betway Premiership log with 55 points from 24 games. They are one point behind the top team, Mamelodi Sundowns, who have played 23 games.
The dominance of the Sandawanas in the local league for eight consecutive seasons, and the fact that they have won 10 games in a row in this competition, makes them the most likely to take home the title again. That would make the Pirates finish second for four consecutive seasons.
The way the Pirates collected points this season showed that they have a good chance of winning the league title for the first time since it ended in 2012, as they have returned Sundowns to the top after losing a few games.
This season Abdeslam Ouaddou’s team has lifted two trophies, MTN8 and Carling Knockout. In the Caf Champions League, it came out of the qualifying stage, and was eliminated from the Last 16 in the Nedbank Cup.
Mbuyane, who was part of the Pirates team that won the league twice in 2011 and 2012, and also took four other playoff titles, said the team has improved this season.
“It would be disappointing if they fail to win the league again after so much work. Apart from that, the team played very well. The coach came and played high quality football,” said Mbuyane in an exclusive interview with Independent Media.
“The players we bought are at the level of the national team, and they are playing well. I would give the team 80 out of 100 marks. I stripped it of 20 because it has been dropping points unfairly in some games recently.
“Nevertheless, finishing in second place is not such a bad thing. The team can still return to the Caf competitions, so they must ensure that they are not at the bottom. It will not be easy for both teams in the competition, Pirates and Sundowns.”
Sundowns will continue to play in the Caf Champions League this weekend, where they will face Esperance from Tunisia, in the second leg of the semi-final match.
This will open another opportunity for Magebhula to climb to the top of the Betway Premiership when they meet MaZulu FC at the Orlando Amstel Arena, tomorrow at 3 pm.
“We have to understand that other teams also enter games with the intention of winning. They have added to contribute points, they also want to show that they don’t deserve to be in this category,” continued Mbuyane.
“It’s obvious that when you play for Pirates, all the teams you face want to prove themselves. Sometimes the players want to disrupt the team, and sometimes they want them to sign them. That’s why they fight so much when they face them.”