Despite the disappointing 1-0 defeat to Sekhukhune United, Orlando Pirates captain Innocent Maela has declared that the Betway Premiership title race is “far from over.”
Babina Noko got the solitary goal via a Tresor Yamba Yamba header off a corner-kick at Orlando Stadium on Wednesday night.
On the other hand, Mamelodi Sundowns edged closer to their eighth successive league title with an emphatic 3-0 victory over Richards Bay FC. Before the midweek matches, the Buccaneers, who have two games in hand, trailed Masandawana by nine points.
Following Wednesday’s results, Sundowns have established a comfortable 12-point lead, with only five matches remaining in the season. The Buccaneers need to step up their game and rely on their rivals slipping up if they hope to secure the league title.
Their next encounter will be against crosstown rivals Kaizer Chiefs, scheduled for Saturday, May 3, at the FNB Stadium. Leading up to this crucial encounter, Pirates captain Innocent Maela reaffirmed that the league race is not yet over.
MAELA DOESN’T BELIEVE THE LEAGUE TITLE IS GONE
“I don’t believe the league is gone. I don’t think the guys [teammates] also believe that,” Maela told journalists at the Soweto Derby press conference on Thursday.
“I think as long as we have a chance to go out there, we never give up. It is an absolute setback for us not to get the three points last night [Wednesday], but it is what it is. Now, it’s for us to make sure that we improve going into the next one and come back strong. But it’s far from being over.”
Despite the Amakhosi side’s inconsistency, Maela acknowledges that form can be irrelevant in the Soweto Derby. He warns his teammates not to “play the occasion”.
“It’s a special feeling playing the Soweto Derby, it’s not like any other game. People are saying it’s the final, but for us it’s to play the game and not the occasion. The occasion will be too big for us to handle.”
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