Are Orlando Pirates fighting a losing battle? Mamelodi Sundowns will take some stopping in the PSL title race

A quick glance at their history will show that the Pirates are no strangers to winning the PSL, having done so on nine occasions in the past. However, clinching this piece of silverware has been a serious struggle of late.

Bucs have enjoyed plenty of success recently in the form of domestic cup competitions, but the big one, the league title, remains elusive.

The last time Pirates won the league was back in the 2011-12 season and their devoted fans are desperate to see their team end Sundowns' dominance.

However, one thing that will count heavily against them is inexperience in this situation when compared to the team they are up against, Sundowns, who have won this trophy for fun in recent years.

The Brazilians have excelled so much in the league that their coaches are no longer judged based on how they perform locally but on how well they do in the Caf Champions League.

Rhulani Mokwena broke numerous records with his Downs team last season, almost going the entire PSL season invincible, but that was still not enough to save his job.

It is almost as if winning the league is no longer considered much of an achievement at Downs, with every coach at the helm expected to ease their way over the line.

Having won the last seven titles on the spin, it is safe to say Sundowns have a proven formula that any other potential competitor will struggle to replicate.

According to Pirates coach Riveiro, the race is well and truly on and there’s still plenty to play for between now and the end of the season.

The soft-spoken Spaniard insists his side will push their rivals Sundowns until the very end, looking to pile as much pressure as possible with the hope Downs will crack.

“We have three games [in hand] and have to capitalise on them. Otherwise, they mean nothing,” said Riveiro after their come-from-behind win over Cape Town City on Saturday.

“There’s still a possibility to close [the gap]; we have to work hard to make it possible, but it’s still possible.”

It goes without saying that for Pirates to stay close to Sundowns, and remain alive in the league race, they will need to keep winning consistently throughout the campaign.

Pirates have so far been able to do that, winning 12 of their 15 matches while the other three have ended in defeat, losing one more match than Downs, who have only lost twice.

Although Bucs have three games in hand, those do not mean points in the bag, and Riveiro’s charges will have to fight to ensure they make them count.

The way they have been dragging themselves over the line of late, though, can either be a cause for concern or encouragement that they get the job done regardless.

Nevertheless, the Soweto giants have very little room for error, if any, between now and the end of the season if they wish to take Sundowns deep in the race for the title.

From the beginning of the season, it had been a major concern from those looking in from outside that Pirates might not realistically have the squad depth to compete with Sundowns

There’s no doubt, Sundowns are far superior in this aspect, as Cardoso can afford to rotate his squad without necessarily compromising much on quality.

Riveiro, on the other hand, simply does not have the same luxury, and this could well be the difference as the season goes deeper with both clubs involved in multiple competitions.

Pirates are desperate to go all the way in the Caf Champions League and they also desire to defend their Nedbank Cup title, but they simply can’t field their strongest team in every match.

Sundowns, meanwhile, can maintain a high level of quality regardless of what team they send out as they have demonstrated so often in the past.

PSL

Orlando Pirates

Mamelodi Sundowns

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