Orlando Pirates players face final Premiership match bearing the pressure of expectation

It’s been years since Orlando Pirates last found themselves in the situation they are currently in. With just one Premiership match remaining, the Buccaneers need a single victory to clinch the Premiership for the first time since 2012, when they won the league title as part of a treble under Dutch coach Ruud Krol.

Pirates trail serial South African champions Mamelodi Sundowns by two points heading into the final round of fixtures for the 2025/26 league season. But Sundowns, who have won the league in each of the last eight seasons, have played all their matches due to their African Champions League commitments.

Pressure

This means the onus and pressure to finally end Sundowns’ monopoly of the Premiership rests solely on Pirates’ shoulders. The Sea Robbers have one final opportunity to do just that when they clash against relegation-threatened Orbit College on Saturday, 23 May at 3pm.

They were in a similar position a week ago, against Durban City. Abdeslam Ouaddou’s men huffed and puffed, but they could not blow down City’s resolute defence. As the match progressed under that sequence, the Pirates players visibly grew more frustrated and impatient. It eventually ended 0-0.

The expectant sighs, cheers and jeers from their fans at a sold-out Orlando Stadium did little to ease this strain on the players – something Ouaddou admitted.

“We have one of the youngest teams in the league, which has its advantages. But there are also disadvantages when it comes to handling these kinds of pressure situations, especially in this era of social media. We saw some supporters were already celebrating before [we played against City],” Ouaddou said.

Over the past three seasons, Pirates have been the closest to dominant Sundowns. However, they never came close to toppling the belligerent Brazilians. For instance, in the 2024/25 season, Pirates collected 61 points. It was the Soweto side’s best haul since 2003. Nevertheless, they still finished 12 points behind Sundowns.

Sundowns’ dynasty done?

A year later Pirates have done even better under Ouaddou in terms of league points collected, with 66 to date. They have also won the MTN8 and Carling Knockout in Ouaddou’s debut season on the Buccaneers’ bench.

The former Morocco international defender took over from Spanish tactician José Riveiro at the start of the 2025/26 campaign. Riveiro enjoyed a super successful stint when he claimed five knockout trophies during his three years in Orlando. But a serious league title challenge always remained elusive for the Spaniard.

Against Orbit at the Mbombela Stadium in Mpumalanga, this league heartache of more than a decade can finally be ended.

“I’m really confident [that we can still win the league]. And my players have to be confident as well. This is the beauty of the Premiership this season (that the title will be won on the final day of the season),” Ouaddou said. “Which is something that over the last eight years, South Africans are not used to. Usually, over the last eight seasons, you knew one month before the season ended who was going to be champion.”

Relegation/promotion playoffs

Orbit currently sit second-last on the league table, with 24 points. A defeat to Pirates would at least leave them stuck in that position. But coupled with a win for bottom-dwellers Magesi in their own final match against Richards Bay, Orbit would then fall to last place on the log.

Magesi are on 21 points with a superior goal difference to Orbit. As such, the clash against Pirates is a make-or-break tie that will ensure that Orbit can at least participate in the relegation/promotion playoffs. A draw against the Sea Robbers would guarantee this. However, an Orbit win against Pirates may ensure that they stay in the league next season, depending on the results of the teams immediately above them.

“We are hoping to give happiness and joy to our fans in the last game. It won’t be easy because we are playing against a team that is trying to save its position in the Premiership. But let’s go and grab it, even though it will be a big challenge,” Ouaddou said.

PSL’s integrity

The fact that Sundowns have already played all their Premiership matches, while the rest of the teams will all wrap up at the same time on 23 May, has the potential to damage the integrity of the Premiership. The reason leagues around the world play their final matches at the same time is to avoid potential collusion, or such questions being raised in the first place.

In the past, such an arrangement was acceptable because of Sundowns’ participation in the Champions League. It did not raise questions of integrity because, as Ouaddou indicated, the league had usually already been won by the Brazilians at this point of the season.

This time around, Sundowns’ success is not guaranteed. But questions of collusion in the Pirates match will be nullified by the fact that their opponents have just as much to play for. However, if it was a dead-rubber match for their opponents, a Pirates Premiership win would have many question marks hanging over it. DM