{"id":53128,"date":"2026-03-18T20:32:11","date_gmt":"2026-03-18T20:32:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/eduzim.co.zw\/news\/?p=53128"},"modified":"2026-03-18T20:32:11","modified_gmt":"2026-03-18T20:32:11","slug":"why-orlando-pirates-will-likely-drop-points-in-their-next-games","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/eduzim.co.zw\/news\/2026\/03\/18\/why-orlando-pirates-will-likely-drop-points-in-their-next-games\/","title":{"rendered":"Why Orlando Pirates will likely drop points in their next games"},"content":{"rendered":"<p> <script data-jetpack-boost=\"ignore\" async src=\"https:\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-1669381584671856\"\r\n     crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script>\r\n<!-- Africa tv video display -->\r\n<ins class=\"adsbygoogle\"\r\n     style=\"display:block\"\r\n     data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-1669381584671856\"\r\n     data-ad-slot=\"3579572842\"\r\n     data-ad-format=\"auto\"\r\n     data-full-width-responsive=\"true\"><\/ins>\r\n<script data-jetpack-boost=\"ignore\">\r\n     (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});\r\n<\/script><br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div>\n<p>Orlando Pirates find themselves in a difficult position after dropping two crucial points in their latest outing.<\/p>\n<p>The Buccaneers were held to a 1-1 draw by Siwelele this past weekend, a result that could prove costly in the title race. <\/p>\n<p>While they briefly held a one-point lead over Mamelodi Sundowns, there was always an expectation that the defending champions would make their game in hand count against Marumo Gallants and they did just that.<\/p>\n<p>Masandawana cruised to a 3-1 victory, with Miguel Cardoso\u2019s side comfortably dispatching Gallants to move two points clear at the top of the table.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-orlando-pirates-feeling-the-heat-already\">Orlando Pirates feeling the heat already<\/h2>\n<p>With just nine matches remaining, the league title is no longer in Pirates\u2019 hands. They are now reliant on Sundowns dropping points, a scenario that looks increasingly unlikely.<\/p>\n<p>Masandawana are currently on an eight-match winning streak and, at this rate, could wrap up the title race well before May.<\/p>\n<p>What makes the situation more frustrating for Pirates is that Sundowns were once six points behind. However, their victory in the clash between the two sides proved to be a turning point, keeping them within striking distance before eventually overtaking the Buccaneers.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-why-orlando-pirates-could-drop-more-points\"><strong>Why Orlando Pirates could drop more points<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>Pressure appears to be taking its toll on the Pirates squad.<\/p>\n<p>Frustration is growing among supporters, with some fans even booing underperforming players, a reaction that seems to be affecting the team\u2019s morale. <\/p>\n<p>There have also been visible signs of tension, with players showing signs of irritation on the pitch.<\/p>\n<p>After their win over Richards Bay, the team notably skipped their usual post-match celebration with fans, opting instead to head straight down the tunnel,a subtle but telling moment.<\/p>\n<p>These signs point to a squad that is beginning to feel the weight of expectation.<\/p>\n<p>If Orlando Pirates fail to regain their composure, the pressure could lead to further dropped points in the coming fixtures.<\/p>\n<p>Their next test away to TS Galaxy presents another tricky hurdle. Given their recent struggles, there is a real possibility that the Buccaneers could falter again.<\/p>\n<p>And if that happens, their hopes of ending the long wait for the PSL title may all but disappear.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-who-will-win-the-league\">Who will win the league?<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<p><script data-jetpack-boost=\"ignore\" async src=\"https:\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-1669381584671856\"\r\n     crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script>\r\n<!-- Africa tv video display -->\r\n<ins class=\"adsbygoogle\"\r\n     style=\"display:block\"\r\n     data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-1669381584671856\"\r\n     data-ad-slot=\"3579572842\"\r\n     data-ad-format=\"auto\"\r\n     data-full-width-responsive=\"true\"><\/ins>\r\n<script data-jetpack-boost=\"ignore\">\r\n     (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});\r\n<\/script><br \/>\n#Orlando #Pirates #drop #points #games<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Orlando Pirates find themselves in a difficult position after dropping two crucial points in their latest outing. The Buccaneers were&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":53129,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[32],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-53128","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-mzansi"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/eduzim.co.zw\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/53128","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/eduzim.co.zw\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/eduzim.co.zw\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/eduzim.co.zw\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/eduzim.co.zw\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=53128"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/eduzim.co.zw\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/53128\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":53130,"href":"https:\/\/eduzim.co.zw\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/53128\/revisions\/53130"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/eduzim.co.zw\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/53129"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/eduzim.co.zw\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=53128"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/eduzim.co.zw\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=53128"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/eduzim.co.zw\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=53128"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}