Pirates’ Mofokeng – ‘We have to improve’

Orlando Pirates have a chance to lay down a marker for the rest of the Betway Premiership season on Wednesday if they can take down Mamelodi Sundowns at FNB Stadium. 

Pirates six points clear

Abdeslam Ouaddou’s side opened up a six point lead at the top of the table when they beat Marumo Gallants 3-0 at Orlando Stadium on Saturday. Second-placed Masandawana do have a game in hand and are unlikely to let the Premiership crown slip easily out of their grasp. 

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The Tshwane giants, after all, have won the last eight league titles in a row and have fended off similar challenges to that of the Buccaneers. 

Pirates, however, may never get a better chance to end Sundowns’ dominance of the top flight. The Buccaneers have built a formidable squad and unlike Sundowns, they will not have the distraction of the Caf Champions League over the next few months. 

The Buccaneers have also been boosted lately by the return to form of star attacker Relebohile Mofokeng. 

It was a surprise that the 21 year-old did not seal a move overseas at the end of last season. The distraction of the hype around a potential transfer seemed to affect his performances in the first months of the campaign. 

Good news for Bafana too

Now, however, Mofokeng looks back to his best, good news not just for Pirates, but also for Bafana Bafana ahead of the 2026 Fifa World Cup finals. 

Mofokeng has three goals and two assists in his last three Premiership appearances. On Saturday, he laid on Pirates’ first goal for Yanele Mbuthuma, and then put the seal on the victory with a quite brilliant third. 

“Playing Marumo is always tough, they beat us in the first leg and we had to step up and show we are number one,” Mofokeng told Pirates media after the match. 

“We have been doing great. (The lead is) six points, but going to the next game we have to improve and keep doing our best so we can stay there (at the top).”

Pirates and Sundowns have been impossible to separate all season. In the MTN8 semifinal, two 1-1 draws over the two legs saw the Buccaneers ultimately triumph in a penalty shootout. 

ALSO READ: Pirates dominate Gallants to extend lead at the top

And the first round Premiership clash on November 1 also ended 1-1. Peter Shalulile’s opener was cancelled out by a wonder-strike from Pirates youngster Cemran Dansin.