Pirates aim to rebound in Betway Premiership clash with TS Galaxy

Orlando Pirates will look to bounce back from their MTN8 final defeat to Mamelodi Sundowns when they face TS Galaxy in the Betway Premiership at Orlando Amstel Arena on Tuesday.

The Buccaneers were denied a fifth consecutive MTN8 title after losing 2-0 to Sundowns at Moses Mabhida Stadium on Saturday and have no time to lick their wounds before returning to action.

They are currently second on the log with 19 points, one behind leaders Sundowns, who have played a game more. Despite their disappointment at the weekend, the Soweto giants should be encouraged as they hold a clear advantage over the Rockets, winning seven of their 12 meetings.

Pirates continued their dominance last season winning their two matches 2-0 at home, before thumping Galaxy 6-0 at Mbombela Stadium in March.

Pirates will be eager to bounce back against the Rockets, who have won just one of their seven matches this season.

Pirates captain Nkosinathi Sibisi urged his side to take something positive out of the game against Sundowns despite the defeat.

“A difficult one to take, you know. Very, very difficult. It’s going to be a very painful week for us,” Sibisi told the club media department.

“But we have to move on, we still have more games coming. I think we can still build from the performance. I think the boys left everything on the field, but it was just not meant to be.”

Pirates will be without star player Kamogelo Sebelele, who was injured against Sundowns. This means Gamphani Lungu will operate as a right back against the Rockets.

Lungu, who missed a penalty in the final against Sundowns, has also called on his side to regroup.

“We did our best as a team, but we know there’s more we could have done. Football comes with wins and losses, and this is one of those moments to reflect, learn, and come back stronger,” Lungu wrote on his social media.

“We take the lessons, keep our heads up and continue working.”

The Rockets, on the other side, will be motivated, as they have performed significantly better on the road than at home this season, accumulating five of their six points during away fixtures, and will look to continue that in Soweto.