Sounding confident of finally shrugging off their poor reputation by winning what’d be their first championship since the 2011/12 season, Orlando Pirates captain Nkosinathi Sibisi and coach Abdeslam Ouaddou have made it clear that Bucs have no time to entertain intrusive thoughts of past league misses.
For the past three seasons, Pirates finished as runners-up to Mamelodi Sundowns. This season, the Sea Robbers seem to be in a better position to eventually clinch the league title, sitting three points behind leaders Sundowns with two games in hand.
“I don’t want to say we’ve seen this movie before, I haven’t…I really haven’t seen this movie before,” Sibisi asserted when asked if their conversations as players reflect on how they’ve lost the league title in the past three seasons.
“It’s a fresh start and it’s a fresh season…we are going for everything and we don’t have to hide that, and let’s see if the movie is the same or not.”
Ouaddou, who’s already delivered the MTN8 and the Carling Knockout in what’s his maiden season as Bucs coach, also implied he wasn’t reading too much to their previous shortcoming in the title race.
“For me it’s a new season with a lot of changes and of course with a lot of ambitions. I am only focusing on this season,” Ouaddou said.
“You spoke about reducing the gap [between them and Sundowns, who collected 12 points better than them to win the title last term] … of course there’s this idea of reducing the gap but it’s not only about that. Maybe there’s an opportunity this season to go higher [than last season], but we need to win every game.”
Instead, the Moroccan cautioned that they mustn’t count their chickens before they hatch as many tip them as favourites in the title race.
“In French there’s a saying that says ‘don’t sell the skin of a bear before you kill it’, so what I am trying to say is that we are working hard and at the end of the season we can speak,” Ouaddou said.
Fixtures
League fixtures
Tomorrow: Bay v Arrows, Richards Bay, (7.30pm)
Saturday: Gallants v AmaZulu, Dr Molemela (3.30pm); Chippa v Durban, Buffalo City (3.30pm); Polokwane v Orbit, Old Peter Mokaba (6pm); Pirates v Magesi, Orlando Stadium (6pm)
Sunday: Galaxy v Sekhukhune, Mbombela (3.30pm)
CAF Champions League
Friday: Al-Hilal v Sundowns, Amahoro (9pm)
Confederation Cup
Sunday: Chiefs v Zesco, FNB (3pm); Stellenbosch v Belouizdad, Cape Town (3pm).
Sowetan
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