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Pirates’ unlikely Champions League quest begins against Maritzburg
'We disappointed millions of South Africans and the Nigerian support that we had,' said Pirates head coach Mandla Ncikazi after the Caf Confederation Cup final defeat.
Orlando Pirates coach Mandla Ncikazi needs to win his final three league matches. Picture: Lefty Shivambu/Gallo Images.
Tuesday marks the start of a final chance for Orlando Pirates’ quest to achieve their ultimate goal in the domestic league, which is to finish in second place in the DStv Premiership.
Piratesa have three games left in the season, because of matches delayed by their route to the final of the Caf Confederation Cup, and they need to win them all to have a chance of finishing second. On Tuesday they take on Maritzburg United at Orlando Stadium.
This is the club’s final mission of the season, having come short in the Caf Confederation Cup, where they suffered a shock defeat to Moroccan club RS Berkane, losing 5-4 on penalties in the final, after the teams were tied at 1-1 after extra-time.
Bucs’ failure to lift the continental championship left many disappointed, especially their fans with the club proving to be stronger than the Moroccans in Friday’s match, only for poor shooting upfront to let them down, with Deon Hotto missing two great chances, while Thembinkosi Lorch missed a penalty during the shootout.
It’s all about redemption for the Sea Robbers and restoring their faith to their fans in ending the season on a good note now.
Pirates are in seventh spot in the league table with 40 points, nine points behind Cape Town City, who are occupying second position at the moment.
After the Maritzburg game, the Soweto giants have to face Royal AM, who also have a huge chance of finishing the campaign as runners-up. Pirates wrap up the season on Monday against SuperSport United, who are chasing a Top 8 finish.
“Honestly, we disappointed our fans at home. We disappointed millions of South Africans and the Nigerian support that we had,” said Ncikazi following the defeat to Berkane.
The Pirates coach will be hoping for no more disappointments from his players, especially with some fans calling for fhim and his co-coach Fadlu Davids to evacuate the Pirates head coach position A win against Maritzburg will certainly be a step in the right direction, thought their chances of qualifying for continental football remain a long shot.
