Mamelodi Sundowns are back at the top, but Orlando Pirates have two games in hand and a point to prove. Is coach Abdeslam Ouaddou ready to steer them to league glory? Photo: Backpagepix The time of the season when the real contenders are separated from the pretenders has arrived in the Betway Premiership, and the spotlight will mostly shine on Orlando Pirates for the next five months.
That is why they must not panic and instead hold their nerve. The Sea Robbers are second in the league with 28 points, one behind serial, defending champions Mamelodi Sundowns, who leapfrogged them to the top spot during the league restart this past Monday night. Sundowns’ route to the summit of the log may have come against the league’s new boys, Orbit College, but it was still a worrying sight for their closest rivals this season, Pirates.
The Brazilians were without several regulars on the day, with only goalkeeper Ronwen Williams making the starting XI from the contingent of eight players who were away with Bafana Bafana at the Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco. Still, the makeshift side looked dangerous, with youngster Thato Sibiya walking away with the Player of the Match award on debut, while new signing Brayan Leon also scored on his debut. Given the depth at Sundowns’ disposal, and their clear intention to return to their best after losing out on all domestic honours — the league title and two trophies (MTN8 and Carling Knockout) — to Pirates in the first half of the season, this is not the time for the Sea Robbers to press the panic button.
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Granted, the league matches will come thick and fast in the next few months, with boys being separated from men as all 16 teams chase their respective targets, but Pirates still have their fate in their own hands. They have two games in hand compared to Sundowns in the league and a lighter schedule after being knocked out of the CAF Champions League group-stage qualifiers. Pirates’ players may not have the same experience of winning the league as the Brazilians, who have claimed seven titles in a row, compared to Pirates’ 14-year drought, but they have a squad that appears hungry to turn their fortunes of the past into a purple patch, given the first half of the season’s impressive exploits.
The Bucs showed real character last year. When coach Abdeslam Ouaddou lost his first two games, critics quickly amplified suggestions that he was out of his depth at a club of Pirates’ stature and should be sacked immediately. However, the players took it in their stride, turning the team’s fortunes around and easing the pressure on Ouaddou by wearing their hearts on their sleeves. They went on to claim a record-extending fourth successive MTN8 title and ended their drought in the Carling Knockout.
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