Former Orlando Pirates forward Daine Klate feels his ex-club will have to break their record even more if they need to catch Mamelodi Sundowns.
Sundowns have set the bar so high in the PSL, winning the league with 70 or more points in recent years, including this season when they managed 73.
Meanwhile, Pirates broke their own record, hitting 61 points in the just-concluded season, but that was 12 less than Sundowns, showing the big gap they need to bridge.
That has got Klate feeling Sundowns are in their own league and also believes what gives the Brazilians the edge is their recruitment strategy that focuses on the right profiles that fit into how they want to play and not just any good player that is available.
What sets Mamelodi Sundowns apart?
“Pitso [Mosimane] left Sundowns in a good space and whoever came in after that, enhanced it,” said Klate on SoccerBeat podcast as per FARPost.
The players that they bring in, they’ve got a clear profile of a player they want, in what position they want. They don’t just go out and sign whoever is in the market.
“They don’t sign a player because for another team, they sign that player because they want him to come and compete with whoever they have. That brings about the competition, that’s been the key to Sundowns’ success; it’s the competition within the group and the way the club operate.”
Klate says Pirates should be focusing on closing the gap on Sundowns slowly rather than thinking they can overtake them instantly as some of their fans have been asking for.
“Sundowns have really dominated, and it’s difficult for Pirates to catch up, and I’m happy to see the progress they have made,” he added.
Pirates advised to improve step by step
“They came close this year, they can go back next year and look at where they went wrong this season and which games they were supposed to win and which games kept them close to Sundowns.
“The most important thing is to come close to Sundowns, don’t even think of overtaking Sundowns for now.
“You know they are on 72 points, we played for 60-something points and won the league. This is how we used to win the league back in the days. Sundowns have upped the standard to 70-point mark. Extra 10 points is needed to compete with Sundowns.”
Pirates had started the 2024-25 well and seemed to be competing with Sundowns but fell off halfway into the season as the gulf in class between the two teams started to show, especially as they also featured in the CAF Champions League.
