Orlando Pirates urged to continue using Muti as Soweto giants eye PSL, Caf Champions League and Nedbank Cup  - 'They must not stop, they must carry on'

Orlando Pirates legend Gavin Lane has stressed the need for the Premier Soccer League (PSL) side to keep using their pre-match ritual, Muti.

Bucs recently used the ritual during their Caf Champions League first-leg quarter-final encounter in Algeria against MC Alger, and this raised eyebrows.

Despite concerns raised about the ritual, Pirates legend Gavin Lane explained why the Soweto giants should not cease the use of Muti.

"Every country, every team wants to use muti, but the problem is, the strength is not equal; the North African players have their superstitions; you hear of one player believing in putting the left sock on before the right one and this kind of nonsense," Lane told KickOff.

"It might not be Muti, but you are still doing something. And I'm sure all the African countries they all use muti. I remember when we were in Nigeria with Pirates, they threw some stuff on the back of Helman Mkhalele, and his body was itching almost the whole second half.

"The way he was scratching himself at some point, the game stopped, and they had to wash his back and put on a new Pirates shirt on him because he couldn't play," he added.

"You go to Gabon, you go to Ghana, there's plenty of Muti and I don't think it's ever gonna stop. It's an African thing. I remember at one stage I almost bliksemed a Pirates Muti man for hitting me with his horse tail during a muti session. Yeah, it was painful.

"Let's go win the match on Wednesday. The North Africans must chill out and stop throwing things and flares at people," he concluded.

The Champions League winner also said the same ritual was used at Swallows and AmaZulu. He recalled how some of his teammates were not happy with its use but later played along, although unconvincingly.

"At Swallows there was Muti, at AmaZulu there was also Muti. In 1995 I believed in it because I wanted the club to win. We all did it. Years earlier there was once this Pirates striker, Etienne Nsunda; he and John Moeti didn't want to hear a thing about Muti; they hated the stuff," Lane revealed.

"As their teammates, we had to convince them to play along. I don't think they were very happy with it, but they ended up taking part.

"So ja Pirates, they should continue using their muti. They must not stop. They must carry on, and if everybody else in Algeria thinks it's working, then why stop it? Use that to your advantage," he stated.

The Muti pre-match ritual has been dominantly employed by both Pirates and their arch-rivals, Kaizer Chiefs, especially before the Soweto Derby kicks off.

Before the match starts, the teams will always walk onto the pitch for a routine inspection, but both sets of players usually walk inside the goal post to perform a ritual. Some team officials have also been seen sprinkling some powder on the goal line.

The Sea Robbers are in contention for the Premier Soccer League (PSL), Nedbank Cup, and Champions League, meaning their calendar is congested as the season heads to the home stretch.

As usual, the Sea Robbers are not expected to cease using the ritual and are expected to do the same before their match against MC Alger on Wednesday.

They enjoy a 1-0 advantage going into the showdown, and home support should be a factor that they need to capitalise on as they tackle the Algerian heavyweights.