ORLANDO Pirates might have missed out on the Fifa Club World Cup in Morocco next month, but the CAF Champions League finalists will play plenty of football here at home in December.
The Premier Soccer League yesterday confirmed that they would use gaps before the Christmas break, which is from December 22 until January 23, to implement a catch-up strategy for Pirates in the Absa Premiership.
The Buccaneers, who were beaten 2-0 by Egyptian side Al Ahly in the final of the Champions League in Cairo at the weekend, losing 3-1 on aggregate, are bottom of the log after playing only three league matches so far this season.
This has left the Buccaneers with seven games in hand after one win, a draw and a defeat. With Pirates reaching the end of the road in their African safari on Sunday, the fixture poser can now be dealt with.
"There are some midweek games in December that we will used for that. We will use every opportunity to play catch-up," said PSL general manager Derek Blanckensee.
The league came under heavy criticism when a decision to cancel all of Pirates' domestic matches this month was taken, leaving them with just the Telkom Knockout semifinal clash against SuperSport United on November 23.
This created an even bigger pile-up. But Blanckensee said the league was keen to see the Buccaneers go into the Christmas break at least having made up some ground on their counterparts, who will reach the 15-game halfway mark then.
Had Pirates beaten Ahly, they would now be preparing to travel to Morocco to take part in the Fifa Club World Cup from December 11 to 21 and the PSL would have had to again push to their league commitments to a later date.
Busy year-end for Pirates
ORLANDO Pirates might have missed out on the Fifa Club World Cup in Morocco next month, but the CAF Champions League finalists will play plenty of football here at home in December.
The Premier Soccer League yesterday confirmed that they would use gaps before the Christmas break, which is from December 22 until January 23, to implement a catch-up strategy for Pirates in the Absa Premiership.
The Buccaneers, who were beaten 2-0 by Egyptian side Al Ahly in the final of the Champions League in Cairo at the weekend, losing 3-1 on aggregate, are bottom of the log after playing only three league matches so far this season.
This has left the Buccaneers with seven games in hand after one win, a draw and a defeat. With Pirates reaching the end of the road in their African safari on Sunday, the fixture poser can now be dealt with.
"There are some midweek games in December that we will used for that. We will use every opportunity to play catch-up," said PSL general manager Derek Blanckensee.
The league came under heavy criticism when a decision to cancel all of Pirates' domestic matches this month was taken, leaving them with just the Telkom Knockout semifinal clash against SuperSport United on November 23.
This created an even bigger pile-up. But Blanckensee said the league was keen to see the Buccaneers go into the Christmas break at least having made up some ground on their counterparts, who will reach the 15-game halfway mark then.
Had Pirates beaten Ahly, they would now be preparing to travel to Morocco to take part in the Fifa Club World Cup from December 11 to 21 and the PSL would have had to again push to their league commitments to a later date.
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