What is it that could motivate a team that has won a competition an unprecedented three times in a row to want to win it again?
Could the lure of extending the record further drive Orlando Pirates to going all the way in this season’s MTN8?
The Buccaneers have made the season-opening competition their own ever since Spaniard Jose Riveiro took charge – winning the tournament contested by teams that finished in the top eight from the preceding season every year from 2022 to 2024.
Riveiro has since left Pirates to join continental giants Al Ahly of Egypt and the big question is which coach is going to replace him as the king of the MTN8. The Ghost surely need the trophy to remain their property and will be backing new man Abdeslam Ouaddou to lead their clubs to glory.
The short road to what would be a record-extending fourth successive title begins this coming weekend with a tricky home clash against Polokwane City. On paper, Pirates have to be the favourites to progress into the semi-final but the beautiful game is played on grass and few clubs would know better than the black and white clad outfit how tricky things can be on the pitch.
This, after all, is a team that slipped on the banana skin that was another team from Limpopo in the form of Magesi FC in the Carling Knockout at the same Orlando Stadium last year. They are sure to tell you that their shock defeat is water under the bridge and that City and Magesi are not the same.
In any case, Pirates have mastered the art of winning the MTN8, haven’t they?
And there’s just no way they’d relinquish their reign this year, at least not as early as the first round.
They’ve made some serious new signings to show just how serious they are about returning to the top of the local game – a position Sundowns has held for the past eight seasons. One of those is a former Polokwane City superstar in the form of Oswin Appollis.
The Bafana Bafana winger was the Bucs’ marquee signing of the transfer window period and is expected to play an influential role as Pirates look to stop Sundowns winning the league title a ninth time.
Ouaddou has a very strong squad that should prove too strong for Phuti Mohafe’s team although he would do well not to underestimate the Limpopo outfit that gave Sundowns a run for their money at this stage last year.
Sundowns, meanwhile, will be out for redemption following a disappointing showing last campaign when they got knocked out by Stellenbosch FC in the semi-final. The Brazilians generally struggle in the MTN8 and it remains to be seen how they will fare this time around. They open their campaign against Richards Bay.
Last year’s beaten finalists Stellies are probably still hurting from that controversial loss against Pirates in which the Buccaneers forged ahead courtesy of a goal scored after they took a free kick way ahead of where the incident that earned them the set play had occurred.
While Stellies coach Steve Barker is unlikely to forgive the match officials for that ‘robbery’ he is professional enough to know not to dwell in the past and you can bet he would have his teams ready for the visit of AmaZulu on Sunday.
Sekhukhune United will host TS Galaxy on Saturday in a clash that can go either way.
