Mamelodi Sundowns star Aubrey Modiba makes wish after Orlando Pirates title setback - 'Anything can happen but...'

Orlando Pirates missed a massive opportunity to seize control of the league title on Saturday afternoon when they were held to a frustrating 0-0 draw by Durban City FC at the Orlando Amstel Arena.

A victory for Abdeslam Ouaddou’s team would have moved them level on 68 points with Sundowns, effectively handing them the trophy due to their superior goal difference heading into the final round of fixtures.

However, the stalemate means the title race will now go down to the wire.

While the Buccaneers remain in a strong position, they must now defeat Orbit College FC in their final match to ensure they dethrone the Brazilians.

The stakes are equally high for Mswenko Boys, who need a result to avoid relegation to the National First Division, adding an extra layer of difficulty for the Soweto giants.

Speaking at Loftus Versfeld Stadium on Sunday, fresh from scoring the winning goal in Sundowns' 1-0 win over AS FAR in the CAF Champions League final first leg, Aubrey Modiba revealed that the Masandawana squad were closely monitoring their rivals' progress.

The result in Soweto has injected fresh belief into the Sundowns camp as they hunt a ninth consecutive domestic crown.

“Obviously, we were watching that game [between Pirates and Durban City], and when we saw that it’s a draw, we’re still believing that the league is not gone,” Modiba, as quoted on FARPost.

“We still believe, we always believed, and anything can happen, but we also know that Pirates are a quality team, and they also want the league so bad.

"So hopefully in the final game, it’s going to be the same result [draw] for them, but we’ll just hope and pray. We keep believing.”

While the domestic title race hangs in the balance, Sundowns are also preoccupied with their continental ambitions.

Modiba’s stunning strike against AS FAR has given them a slender advantage to take to Rabat for the second leg of the Champions League final.

The Pretoria-based side is desperate to conquer Africa for the first time since 2016, especially after the heartbreak of losing last year's final to Pyramids FC.

Despite the heavy schedule, the focus remains on a potential double. Modiba’s 'hope and pray' approach highlights the tension currently gripping the South African top flight.

If Pirates fail to take maximum points against an Orbit College side fighting for their lives, the door will be wide open for Sundowns to extend their era of unprecedented dominance in the league.

In the final round of the 2025/26 season, Pirates cannot afford another slip-up against relegation-threatened Orbit College.

For the Sea Robbers, it will be a do-or-die situation and the man at the helm, Ouaddou, will need to get his tactics right to deliver the league title for the first time in 14-years.

While Pirates have the personnel to get it over the line, they will face challenges of reinforced defense against the North West-based outfit, a tactic they're seem to struggle to deal with after failing to find the score against City.