Rested Pirates eye victory against Stellies to keep title dream alive

Pirates edged Stellies 1-0 in the reverse fixture at the start of the current campaign.

Following their hard-fought draw against Kaizer Chiefs in the Soweto derby, Orlando Pirates will travel to Stellenbosch FC looking for a victory to narrow the gap to Mamelodi Sundowns at the top of the table.

The Brazilians currently lead the Betway Premiership standings with 64 points after 27 matches. They lead the Buccaneers by five points, but Pirates have a game in hand.

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Pirates could close that gap to two points with a win against Stellies at the Athlone Stadium on Tuesday night (kick-off is at 7.30pm).

The Buccaneers head to Stellies for what is a difficult away day, having drawn two of their last three league games, which has handed the initiative to Sundowns.

Pirates can’t afford any more slip-ups

Abdeslam Ouaddou’s charges cannot afford any more slip-ups in the title race because, as it stands, they need to win all their remaining four games and hope Sundowns lose at least one game to clinch the title.

But Stellenbosch is one of the tougher places to go in the Premiership despite their mid-table placing this season. And Stellies have not lost a league game at home in 2026, with three wins and two draws. The last team to beat them at home was Polokwane City on December 3.

Pirates, who have been playing two games per week, last played against Chiefs in the Soweto derby on February 26, and Ouaddou has welcomed the “rare” eight-day rest, saying his players are not robots and they deserve some rest.

“They need to rest because they’re not robots, they are human, and more especially if you see the effort they put into the game at the speed we demand, so it’s important for them to rest,” said Ouaddou.

“But when we come back to the business, we have to analyse what we can fix. I can guarantee that the remaining games, we’re going with the same pace and motivation until we see the conclusion of this league race.”

Stellies looking to bounce back

Stellies suffered a 1-0 loss to Polokwane City in their last league outing away in Polokwane on February 29. They will therefore be looking to bounce back to winning ways with a victory against the Buccaneers.

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Depending on the winning margin, a victory could see them move into the top eight. Pirates, however, have kept seven clean sheets in 12 away games this season, so the chances of a big win for Stellies are very slim.

Pirates edged Stellies 1-0 in the reverse fixture at the start of the current campaign.