Orlando Pirates ruled out of PSL title race as Mamelodi Sundowns have too much 'firepower'

Despite the fact that they are enjoying a good run on the domestic front, Orlando Pirates have been ruled out of the Premier Soccer League title race.

The Sea Robbers are unbeaten in the last nine games across all competitions. Indeed, their last defeat came on October 19, when Saint-Eloi Lupopo eliminated them from the CAF Champions League on post-match penalties, a loss that came outside 90 minutes.

Their elimination from the continental competition has been described as a blessing in disguise, as this could give them enough energy to challenge for the PSL title.

However, former Kaizer Chiefs and Bafana Bafana defender David Kannemeyer believes the Sea Robbers will not end Sundowns' dominance.

“I don’t think Pirates will knock Sundowns off. In recent seasons, they have been starting slow, but they will win the league because of the depth they have in their squad,” Kannemeyer told FARPost.

“Sundowns have so much depth in their squad, and it’s not even funny because that makes them dominate. In my opinion, they will win the league again. I don’t think Pirates can stop them.

"I don’t think Sundowns need to sign players in January. They have enough firepower already. If they are to buy, maybe it should just be one player to bolster just one area, which the coach [Miguel Cardoso] feels needs some addition," he added.

“But I think at the moment they have too much firepower.”

Kannemeyer's assessment echoes what ex-Amakhosi forward Junior Khanye said: give the title to Sundowns.

"They have very experienced players; they don't settle for less. You can’t tell who is going to start. They started the season with gear one, and now they are only in gear number two," Khanye said.

"It's not going to be easy for Pirates to sit on top until the finish line, so I still give it to Sundowns. Experience plays a huge role in winning the league, and that is not something I think Pirates have enough of right now.

"They are competing against a team that has spent too much money, which is Mamelodi Sundowns. Sundowns have been dominating for the past 10 years.

"On the other hand, Pirates this season mean business. They want to win every trophy," he added.

Masandawana have been quite inconsistent, and this has piled more pressure on head coach Miguel Cardoso. Former Downs striker Bennet Mnguni has warned that parting ways with the coach at this juncture will not be a wise move.

So to win, Mnguni believes, Sundowns should maintain the current technical team until the end of the season.

“We cannot change the coach. Remember. If we change the coach, then the whole system is collapsing. We would rather keep the coach until the end of the season," Mnguni said.

"We cannot see, you know, sometimes as supporters, what the coach is seeing at the training field; we are not there. You can only judge him by the way the boys are performing.

“We want to win each and every game because we deserve to win, because we have players now, but you cannot only have players. You must have even the supporters to support the players to perform well," he added.

“It looks like now there is a division. Players are doing their job; the coach is doing their job. Supporters, they're supposed to do their job. Leave everything to the management. Remember, they are the ones working with them 24 hours. They know what the challenges are that are coming across, what they are facing."