Mihlali Baleka
The Betway Premiership champions will be declared in May but such is the cruise mode of the Sea Robbers’ ship right now, the crown is arguably already theirs to lose this season. Pirates are top of the league standings with 18 points, thanks to an excellent start to the season after winning all six league games so far.
Thanks to that start, the Buccaneers already enjoy a three-point lead between them and second-placed, defending champions Mamelodi Sundowns. Granted, naysayers will declare that it’s too early in the season to tip the Bucs as the possible champions, but they’ve already matched a record.
Coach Jose Riveiro’s men beat TS Galaxy 2-0 in Mbombela last week to equal their best start to the season since 2002/03, under coach Roy Barreto. That glowing start under Barreto helped them cruise to the title, in the coach’s first season in charge.
It might be more than two decades since that famous run, and Riveiro is yet to get a sniff of the championship in his third season but, boy, the Spaniard has been hands down one of the best coaches Pirates have hired in years, given that he’s won five domestic trophies out of a possible six.
His incredible run in domestic competitions includes winning an unprecedented ‘three-peat’ in the most lucrative and sought-after trophy in the land, the MTN8. Riveiro’s incredible run in domestic football has many of The Ghost believing that they’ve finally turned the tide and will win the most important silverware in the land.
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After all, this was Riveiro’s mandate from the outset — ending the club’s drought in the league, which is now stretching over 12 years. He has bought himself time with cup triumphs at the helm, but it’s now time for him to deliver the big one.
Pirates won’t have it easily though. They will be tested this evening as they’ll host a Richards Bay side who’ll want to ruin their aspirations. The Natal Rich Boyz arrive in Soweto high on confidence tonight (kick-off 7.30pm), after they reached the Carling Knockout semi-finals after beating Cape Town City in Umlazi on Saturday.
Although that victory brought them two steps closer to their first trophy in the top-flight, they’ll need to bypass Magesi FC firstly in the semis at the same venue on Saturday. Coach Brandon Truter also made a bold declaration, the Capetonian insisting he’d swap their cup run for three points any day in the elite division, given that their league status is much more precious than any trophy.
Nevertheless. the Natal Rich Boyz's have a chance of hitting two birds with one stone this week – winning in both the league and the cup. Truter will enter Orlando Stadium high on confidence, not only because Pirates lost their last home game to Magesi – in the CKO, but also because he knows the surroundings of the venue very well.
The title is for Pirates to lose and having already beaten Bay 1-0 in the away leg this season, they'll be confident of completing a double at home. Pirates, moreover, will want to avenge the fact that the KZN based side eliminated them from the 'beer cup' away from home last season.