Orlando Pirates are making life very difficult for every team in the country right now, and even their opponents are starting to say it out loud. After losing 1-0 to the Buccaneers in the Carling Knockout Cup last weekend, Sekhukhune United coach Papi Zothwane gave an honest assessment of just how good the Soweto giants currently are.

Pirates have played 19 matches across all competitions this season and have lost only once, with one draw. That kind of record is rare, and Zothwane saw the quality up close when his side was beaten at Orlando Stadium to exit the cup.

“My opinion? Pirates have many quality players. As a coach, you always know you will find it difficult to challenge them pound for pound; you always have to play them knowing their strengths, because offensively they are a threat,” Zothwane said after the match.

He explained that teams cannot afford to be careless against them. “You can’t be naive and play Pirates with a high press, leaving space behind. You always have to be cautious,” he added. At the same time, he challenged his own players, asking whether they respect the Pirates players more than they believe in themselves when the two sides meet.

The numbers back up Zothwane’s words. Since coach Abdeslam Ouaddou took over, Pirates have been almost perfect after a slow start. In the next 37 matches, they recorded 29 wins, seven draws and only one defeat. During that period they scored 78 goals and conceded just 11, while also winning the league title for the first time since 2012.

Overall, Ouaddou has now managed 63 games at the club, winning 48, drawing nine and losing only six. He has already delivered the league, the MTN8 and the Carling Knockout Cup.

Zothwane refused to sound completely defeated. He said coaches and players must still focus on their own plans instead of only talking about how good Pirates are. “Maybe it’s overthinking and anxiety for players sometimes,” he admitted. He believes Sekhukhune have players who can go pound for pound with the Buccaneers and even win matches against them.

However, he also accepted the reality: “It’s just unfortunate, when we come here, it’s always difficult to win.”

Right now, most coaches in the PSL would quietly agree with him. Orlando Pirates are the team everyone is talking about, and very few sides are finding a way to stop them.

Source: https://x.com/MDNnewss/status/2120126861569036497?a=_Onzv1YOAj6Vlu9BTpM&s=19