Orlando Pirates coach Milutin Sredojevic has warned the club’s new signings and said there is no easy entry into his team.

But the Bucs mentor also voiced his happiness with the integration of the new faces.

Pirates have again strengthened their side for the new season with some impressive additions like the Maritzburg United par of Fortune Makaringe and Siphesihle Ndlovu‚ Tebogo Tlolane from Chippa United and the Bloemfontein Celtic trio of Bongani Sam‚ Kabelo Dlamini and Tshegofatso Mabaso.

But they will have to work hard for a place in his side.

“Of course‚ there is no automatic place in the team.

"Practically speaking‚ this is something that you need to earn. It’s not automatic‚” he told SowetanLIVE as Pirates continued their pre-season preparations in Cape Town.

“You need to deserve‚ to earn‚ before you can be considered. You need to adjust‚ adapt‚ acclimatise. They have to understand everything that is demanded of them.”

But the coach is happy with the new signings: “We believe that we are stronger.

“We have pressed the right buttons and brought the right players that will fit perfectly.

“First of all‚ they are very good boys who have been like sponges‚ absorbing all the tactics and they have adjusted and acclimatised well to our ways.

“I believe that we have got the right players that are working very hard to be part of the Orlando Pirates way of playing.”

Other new players are Belgian goalkeeper Joris Delle‚ striker Gabadinho Mhango from Bidvest Wits and Zambian import Kaunda Muwowo.

They had scrimmage with Cape Town City on Tuesday and on Wednesday meet newly promoted Stellenbosch FC.

“We’ve really just picked up from where we stopped at the end of last season‚ even with several new players coming‚” Sredojevich added.

“Their integration has gone well‚ plus the fact that the other players know what the demands are‚ the formula that helps us to put ourselves into a competitive mood.

“The new players have fitted into the puzzle perfectly and it’s really looking good for the season ahead of us.

“We provided for altitude training in the first three weeks of our pre-season training in Johannesburg and Rustenburg where we laid a platform for this part.

“Now we get to play four friendly matches in six days in Cape Town and we are looking to polish what we set as a platform.

“We are playing matches that are giving us competitive fitness‚ where we are trying tactical variations‚ and this is behind the intention of coming here.

“This is the second phase‚ where you check how competitive you are in all aspects‚ especially because the start of the season is just around the corner.”