New jersey, old league title ambition for Bucs

Makhaula calls for team to win 10 games in a row

Sihle Ndebele Journalist
Kabelo Dlamini, Miguel Timm, Innocent Maela, Karim Kimvuidi and Olisa Ndah model the new Orlando Pirates jersey
Kabelo Dlamini, Miguel Timm, Innocent Maela, Karim Kimvuidi and Olisa Ndah model the new Orlando Pirates jersey
Image: SUPPLIED

Orlando Pirates have now gone 12 seasons without winning the league, which is a big let-down for a team of their calibre, and the club's midfielder Makhehleni Makhaula has insinuated that they know what to do to finally end their prolonged championship drought in the 2024/25 season.

Despite winning a series of trophies, Pirates' last league success was in the 2011/12 campaign. Makhaula has revealed they are hell-bent on finally winning their first league title in 12 years, saying the aim was to win 10 games in a row somewhere during the course of the season and treat the game equally.

“If we can win 10 games in a row, I think then we can challenge for the league. The league isn't about beating Sundowns and Chiefs...there are other 13 teams that we need to beat to stand a good chance of winning the league,'' Makhaula said during Pirates' jersey launch event at Orlando Stadium yesterday.

“The talk we've been having as players is that we need to stop focusing more on beating Sundowns and Chiefs and start beating all the other teams. We need to win 10 games in a row and then we'll have a good chance to win the league. It's easy for us to challenge for the league. It's up to us to be consistent.”

If we can win 10 games in a row, I think then we can challenge for the league. The league isn't about beating Sundowns and Chiefs...there are other 13 teams that we need to beat to stand a good chance of winning the league.
Orlando Pirates midfielder Makhehleni Makhaula

Makhaula also emphasised that losing focus in some of the games has been their major undoing in their battle to win the league, suggesting that has been fixed during their recent preseason camp in Spain, where they played four friendlies against Plymouth Argyle, Sevilla, Granada and Al Sadd.

“It's only small things that have held us back in the league in terms of challenging. We tend to lose concentration in some other games but I've seen it in Spain, the guys are very focused and I think this season we are going to try by all means to win the league. With the name at the back of my jersey, that will remind us of what we are fighting for,'' Makhaula said.

Pirates have finished as runners-up four times, including the last two seasons, since they last won the league in the 2011/12 season.


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