Ex-Orlando Pirates & Mamelodi Sundowns star reveals what Bucs must do to win PSL – ‘They must beat small teams, not just Downs’
Former Mamelodi Sundowns midfielder Ernest Mtawali has told Orlando Pirates to beat small teams in the future if they are to win the Premier Soccer League (PSL) title.
Mtawali’s advice comes after Pirates, a club he also played for before, shocked many by beating Sundowns 2-1 on Sunday at the FNB Stadium. Relebohile Mofokeng scored a brace to hand his side three points, while Khuliso Mudau scored a second-half goal to deny the hosts a clean sheet.
The Malawian has said if Bucs want to win the league title, they must beat small teams and not just the Tshwane giants.
WHAT MTAWALI SAID
“Yesterday, it was the individual brilliance of Mofokeng that made the difference. Pirates scored early, and Sundowns were caught sleeping in the first 10 to 15 minutes. But when you lose, it’s a team loss. Fingers shouldn’t be pointed at anyone. The defending was poor, and Sundowns only began to play after Pirates scored,” Mtawali said as per kickoff.
“However, the league cannot be won with seven or 11 games remaining. There is still a long way to go. While Pirates have four games in hand, they lack the needed points, whereas Sundowns already have points secured.
“In terms of consistency, I don’t think Sundowns will let this slip now. They will keep fighting until the end of the season,” he added.
“For Pirates to win the league, in the future they will need to defeat all the other smaller teams as well, not just Sundowns.
“The fact that Pirates are performing well in the Champions League indicates that they are doing something right. The Pirates coach has been with the team for about three years, and that stability helps a lot. The future looks bright for Pirates,” the Malawian concluded.
THE BIGGER PICTURE
It was a crucial win for Pirates, who prevented the Brazilians from doing a season double over them after a 4-1 thrashing in the first-round meeting.
Although the loss at the FNB Stadium denied Sundowns crucial points, it is unlikely the Pretoria outfit will lose the PSL race. The points between the two top rivals now are 15, although the Sea Robbers have played fewer games.
Although they must have rejoiced in slowing Sundowns’ title charge, Pirates must find a way of not dropping points when they meet other teams.
Before facing Sundowns, they could not find a way past Stellenbosch, who held them to a 0-0 draw despite enjoying a numerical advantage following Brian Onyango’s red card.
Marumo Gallants, 14th on the table, had beaten them 2-0 in an initial PSL encounter, denying them vital points in the title race.
WHAT NEXT FOR PIRATES?
After the morale-boosting win over Sundowns, Pirates now will focus on their continental duties as MC Alger wait for them for a CAF Champions League duel on April 1, 2025.
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