Orlando Pirates defeated Magesi FC 3-0 at the New Peter Mokaba Stadium to keep the pressure firmly on Mamelodi Sundowns.
The Buccaneers remain three points behind the defending champions, but importantly they still hold a game in hand and boast a better goal difference.
ORLANDO PIRATES COACH ABDESLAM OUADDOU FINALLY TALKS TITLE
That equation means the title race is now fully alive. If the Sea Robbers win their remaining two fixtures against Durban City and ORBIT College, the league crown will return to Orlando for the first time in 14 years.
For weeks Orlando Pirates head coach Ouaddou avoided openly discussing the title race. Even after important victories, the Moroccan coach preferred speaking about discipline, processes and focus.
But after the latest win in Polokwane, the emotion finally slipped out.
“We are very proud of them, I think it’s a process of the club. This project of Orlando Pirates is well-managed by fantastic people who know football so I am not surprised by the title of the DDC,” he said.
The coach also pointed towards the club’s development structures, praising the work being done throughout the club as the senior team edges closer to glory.
“We pray to God to maybe follow their path, we still have two games definitely we want to make our fans happy – 14 or 15 years without a title, I think we start to smell it, we are close but we cannot touch the trophy.”
Those words alone will excite Pirates supporters, who have spent years watching Sundowns dominate the league while the Buccaneers collected cup trophies instead.
THE BUCCANEERS KEEP BELIEVING
There is now a different feeling around Orlando Pirates. The confidence is visible, even during difficult matches where performances are not always spectacular. The team looks calmer under pressure and appears to believe the title is genuinely possible.
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Sundowns still control their own destiny in some ways, with their final league fixture against TS Galaxy still to come. But Pirates know that any slip-up from the Brazilians could completely change the picture.
Ouaddou also made sure to acknowledge the supporters who have followed the team through frustrating years without league success.
“We still have two games we will see what happens but credit has to be given to the fantastic fans as well they really helped us and we are going to fight for them until the end.”
For Pirates fans, the maths is now simple. Two more wins could finally end the long wait that has stretched since 2012. Suddenly, after all these years, the smell of league glory is becoming stronger at the Orlando Amstel Arena.
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