Orlando Pirates will not give up on the DStv Premiership title race, head coach Jose Riveiro has said, despite the club trailing table-toppers Mamelodi Sundowns by 17 points.
However, Orlando Pirates have three games in hand as they have five games, compared to Sundowns’ eight.
The Soweto giants haven’t had the best start as they two of their five games so far this season, with Sundowns winning all their opening eight games to open a seven-point lead at the summit of the log.
Golden Arrows, in second place, are the closest team to Sundowns in the early stages of the league title race. Pirates head coach Riveiro believes that winning their games in hand and replicating their second-half run from last season would keep their title hopes alive.
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“We want it too, but we’ve only played five games,” said Jose Riveiro. “I don’t think that five games is a number that will give you or give us the possibility to analyse our record in the league.
“We still need to play much more games. Hopefully, like I said, this time to collect points. Two defeats in five games is not what we were dreaming about at the beginning of the league. It’s an obvious thing. We don’t need to hide it.”
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The Buccaneers lost their opening league title against Stellenbosch away from home before losing against Sundowns, who have made history by becoming the first team to win all their opening eight Premiership games.
“But now we go again, we have an opportunity to think about ourselves, not thinking who is leading the log or who has more points than us,” added the Pirates coach.
“We have to go for pushing our games, collect the points. Three out of three to get in every game and see what’s happening in two, three months and what we have.”