Pirates in a pressure cooker!

→ Top-rank soccer is back and there's great action on the menu for the next five days with three PSL clashes tonight followed by the MTN8 semi-final second legs at the weekend, plus a range of games in the second round of the new season in the English Premier League - and TAB is putting big money on the table with three carryovers, notably a Soccer 10 carryover on Friday night followed by Soccer 10 and Soccer Any 13 Xtra carryovers the next day.

- By Mark Gleeson

A much-improved second-half performance by Orlando Pirates against Mamelodi Sundowns in last Saturday's first leg of their MTN8 semi-final will have come as a major boost to embattled new coach Abdeslam Ouaddou and the players.

But the youthful former Moroccan international, whose previous club jobs have had nothing of the prestige and pressure of taking charge of Pirates, faces another gruelling week under intense pressure with a tough encounter tonight and then the return leg in the MTN8 against Sundowns on Saturday.

Pirates have made a miserable start to the league with a surprise home loss to Sekhukhune United, followed by a last-gasp loss at Marumo Gallants last week, and now sit bottom with no points.

It does not get easier tonight when they take on Stellenbosch, who might have sold some key players lately but still look like they are going to be one of the strongest teams this season.