Pirates eager to maintain unbeaten run in Spain

Orlando Pirates will be looking to maintain their unbeaten run when the take on Qatari champions Al-Sadd in their final preseason game in Spain on Friday (kick off this game is 7.30pm SA time).

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The Buccaneers drew 2-2 with Wayne Rooney’s Plymouth Argyle in the first game of the preseason tour last Friday.

They followed that draw with a convincing 2-0 win over La Liga side Sevilla before playing to a 1-1 stalemate against Spanish Segunda division side Granada in their last game on Wednesday.

Speaking ahead of Friday’s game against Al-Sadd, Pirates captain Innocent Maela said they are looking forward to going home and implementing everything they have learned in Spain.

“This is our second time camping here in Spain. So far, the camp has been demanding, it has been very tough with very extreme training sessions,” Maela told Pirates media.

“We have been working very hard, pushing ourselves to the limit and of course, we have had the opportunity to test ourselves playing a few matches.

“Today (Wednesday) we played our third match and I have to say it has been very tough. I think the boys will gain a lot from this experience,” he added.

“We have to take it back home and make sure that we achieve our objectives but so far, so good. The team chemistry is there, we are building every day.

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“Pre-season is very intense. We look forward to going home and implementing everything we’ve learned here,” concluded the Pirates skipper.

After the game against Al-Sadd, the Buccaneers are expected to fly back to South Africa to prepare for the first round of MTN8 clashes, where they’ll come up against SuperSport United.