Pirates nowhere close to Sundowns? Masandawana can finish first & second in PSL with two teams

Mamelodi Sundowns have been tipped to beat Orlando Pirates to the Premier Soccer League crown, which will be their ninth title in a row.

Masandawana have been dominating the domestic scene for almost a decade now, with the other top teams failing to match them in terms of finances and human resources, as well as the quality of the players.

In the last three seasons, the Buccaneers have finished second on the PSL table. They are tipped to challenge the Brazilians this season and eventually win the crown. However, former Sea Robbers' coach Roger De Sa has given them no chance in their bid to win the league title this season.

He argues that Masandawana have good players who can be split into two and still win the title effortlessly. De Sa has, however, lauded Pirates for the efforts they have made to narrow the gap between them and the Brazilians. 

Pirates could derail Sundowns, but…

“[Pirates] have improved a hell of a lot; they have definitely narrowed the gap between Sundowns and the rest of the teams in South Africa. Sundowns were running away. Pirates have put some respectability on the log and on the competition. They have come up with some good performances and are showing good signs that they can compete,” he told FARPost.

“They could possibly derail Sundowns, but I still maintain Sundowns will be favourites. They got a hell of a squad. And they continue to build on their squad. They could probably fill two teams in the PSL and finish first and second.

“But having said that, Pirates have shown some signs of narrowing the gap,” the former Masandawana custodian concluded.

The defending Premier Soccer League champions are currently leading the race for the title, once again. They are on top of the table with 21 points after 10 games, three points more than the Soweto giants, who are on 18 points after eight matches.