Maela backs Pirates for more domestic glory this season

ORLANDO Pirates have hit a rich vein of domestic form, and former captain Innocent Maela believes the current squad has everything required to achieve something significant this season.

- OBAKENG MELETSE

The Buccaneers reinforced their reputation as South Africa’s cup specialists by lifting the MTN8 title earlier in the campaign — their fourth consecutive triumph in the competition. They have since advanced to the Carling Knockout final, a trophy they have not won in more than a decade, setting up a showdown with Marumo Gallants next month.

Despite the arrival of more than ten new faces in the off-season, Pirates have never looked lost or uncertain. Instead, they settled into Abdeslam Ouaddou’s rhythm with surprising ease, as though the blueprint had been waiting for them long before he arrived, with their story unfolding exactly as it should.