Pirates out to prove doubters wrong, regain lead against Bay

While some have started to doubt their title credentials in recent weeks, Orlando Pirates will be determined to register a statement victory when they host Richards Bay at Orlando Stadium on Wednesday night (7.30pm).

Polokwane City coach Phuti Mohafe said he believes the Sea Robbers will not be league champions unless they improve on the performance they put in to beat his side 2-1 in Polokwane last Wednesday.

Lamontville Golden Arrows coach Manqoba Mngqithi said Mamelodi Sundowns (47 points from 20 games), who beat Orbit College FC in Rustenburg on Wednesday to regain the lead from Bucs (44 from 19), are better positioned to win the title.

A two-goal win for the Buccaneers on Wednesday will see them retake top spot in their neck-and-neck race with Downs.

Bay will be hoping to claim the scalp of another Soweto giant after outwitting struggling Kaizer Chiefs 1-0 at Richards Bay Stadium last week. A win for the Natal Rich Boyz would see them move to eighth place.

Pirates have lost once in the league at their Soweto home ground this season, winning seven of the eight Premiership matches they’ve hosted in 2025-26.

Their only league defeat in Orlando was against Sekhukhune United in their second game of the season in August. Their other home league loss this season was at FNB Stadium, where they were beaten 2-1 by Sundowns early last month.

Pirates’s decent record in the league at Orlando Stadium further makes them favourites against Bay, who have won only one of their nine league fixtures on the road with four losses and four draws.

Fresh from scooping the Premiership Player of the Month award for January/February, Bucs’s talismanic forward Relebohile Mofokeng will be hoping to continue his recent scoring spree, having netted four goals in his side’s last six league games.

Sowetan