Fresh from a relatively successful pre-season tour of Spain, Orlando Pirates are making all the right noises ahead of the new PSL season. They launched their brand new jersey on Monday which received positive reviews as well.
The Ghost will be forgiven for expecting more from their team especially in the domestic league. Firstly, they have to defend their MTN8 title they won last season as well as the Nedbank Cup crown.
Its hard to critique Pirates after a solid camp in Europe where they beat La Liga outfit Sevilla FC and played to two credible draws against Plymouth Argyle and Granada respectively. The only blemish for Buccaneers came in the 3-2 defeat to Al-Sadd but coach Jose Riveiro will no doubt be happy with how his charges fared on the road.
Pirates players are clear about their intentions when it comes to their league aspirations. Instead of giving safe answers during their media run this week, they were refreshingly bold and stated their aim of challenging Mamelodi Sundowns for the championship.
I was impressed by the level of confidence from the Bucs camp and I think the league needs that in order to be competitive. However, we all know that you cant talk your way into winning the league. The formula is simple, you have to be consistent and make your home venue a fortress.
