Orlando Pirates need to beat Orbit College on Saturday to win an historic domestic treble.
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Orlando Pirates are well poised to follow directly in the footsteps of the famous 2011/12 generation by completing the exact same set of domestic trophies on Saturday night at the Mbombela Stadium.
Pirates will face Orbit College in a high-stakes, must-win Betway Premiership season finale — knowing victory would see them finish top of the standings on 69 points and be crowned champions of South African football for the first time in 14 years.
Winning the league would complete a spectacular domestic treble for Pirates, who have already lifted the MTN8 and Carling Knockout trophies in Mbombela and Polokwane respectively earlier this season.
Coincidentally, the last time Pirates won both domestic knockout cups — the MTN8 and Carling Knockout (formerly the Telkom Knockout) — was during that unforgettable 2011/12 campaign before they went on to dramatically clinch the league title. Adding to the striking similarities, Pirates also won their final league match that season — beating Golden Arrows 4–2 to secure the championship.
The Buccaneers lifted the title away from home that season at the Moses Mabhida Stadium, so the fact that Saturday’s crucial clash will also be played away from Orlando Stadium at another iconic World Cup venue, Mbombela Stadium, bodes incredibly well for their lofty ambitions.
Pirates head into Nelspruit full of confidence. The venue has been an exceptionally happy hunting ground for them throughout this campaign, having initially secured the MTN8 there before hammering TS Galaxy 6–0 in a one-sided league fixture earlier this year.
So, after 10 months of fighting with sweat, blood, and tears, Pirates stand on the absolute brink of returning to the absolute summit of South African football by following in the historic footsteps of the celebrated 2011/12 side in almost every single department.