There’s no title talk at Pirates – Micho

With just two games left to the end of the Absa Premiership season, Orlando Pirates have it all in their hands to clinch the title, but coach Micho Sredojevic is cautious about promising Bucs will win the title.

The Buccaneers are tied on 53 points with Mamelodi Sundowns, but Bucs top the table with a better goal difference.

All Pirates need to do is to ensure they win the remainder of their games against Cape Town City and Polokwane City, and keep the goal difference gap between them and Downs, to ensure they don’t go for a fifth season without a trophy.

READ: Pirates coach Micho accepts Benni’s ‘hand grenade’ challenge

Pirates travel to the Mother City for a meeting with Cape City at the Athlone Stadium tomorrow. Sredojevic knows it won’t be easy for his charges, but says confidence is high in the camp, with the club on a four-game winning streak.

“Confidence is high, but in football, you have no right to fly when it is good, and when it is bad, you need to have a never-say-die attitude and that is exactly that … we are aware that it is a totally different ball-game to the games that are already behind us –it is like a new cup final. Everyone is motivated to give their best, but now we have seen there are nerves and players are anxious because they want to give their best – as happened in the last game – and the easiest of chances are then missed.

“We are then putting ourselves in a position at the last moment where we worry what the final result will be,” said the Bucs mentor after receiving the Absa Premiership Coach of the Month (March/April) accolade at the PSL offices yesterday.

“We are fully aware that in front of us we have a match where for 90-plus minutes we have to be on our toes. We need to have the perfect balance between defence and attack, knowing the sources of their danger that can hurt us, and we need to find the way to close that down. By the same token we have recognised certain points of vulnerability in their defence.”

Meanwhile, Black Leopards striker Mwape Musonda won the Player of the Month gong, while Kaizer Chiefs Khama Billiat’s goal against SuperSport United during the 1-1 draw early in March was voted Goal of the Month.

For more news your way, download The Citizen’s app for iOS and Android.