Bucs gun for League title

Orlando Pirates want to prove they haven't put all their eggs in the CAF Champions League basket by getting off to a winning start when they face AmaZulu in the Absa Premiership at Soccer City tonight.

Coach Roger de Sa says the team wants to recover the league title they surrendered to rivals Kaizer Chiefs last season just as badly as they want to add another gold star to their badge.

It will be tough to convince pundits of that, though. While the Buccaneers have shed blood, sweat and tears to progress in Africa, things have gone off the rails back home.

They finished trophy-less last season, surrendering every title they held, from the MTN8 to the Telkom Knockout, yet they overcame seemingly insurmountable tasks in the Champions League.

They bettered their heroic aggregate win over TP Mazembe in May - withstanding rotten refereeing in horror conditions in Lubumbashi - with their epic 3-0 win over Egyptian giants Al Ahly in their El Gouna back yard last weekend.

Sure, the draw with Congo's AC Leopards pointed to a level of rustiness, especially in front of goal, but they played with speed and passion.

"There is no particular reason why we are doing well in Africa, but weren't successful in domestic competitions. We try to win every game, we do not put more attention into the Champions League than the domestic competitions," De Sa maintains, despite the evidence pointing to a greater focus on the continental showpiece.

"We focus on them equally, but it is just that it has gone well for us in the Champions League.

"The pressure is the same when you're at home and when you're out of the country - it might not be direct but as soon as you get home it is in your face. Our goal is still to reclaim the league title even with the Champions League ambitions in full flow."

AmaZulu will, nonetheless, pose testing questions to De Sa, whose game-by-game theory will be heavily tested in the team's fixtures during the coming weeks.

"We'll see tonight if the fact that we've switched to competitive mode sooner than other teams will give us an advantage," says De Sa.