Pirates on course to clinch another cup
BE SURE TO BET SUNDAY’S LIKELY R4-MILLION SOCCER 10
By Mark Gleeson
Orlando Pirates hopes of proving serious competition for star-studded Mamelodi Sundowns this season quickly evaporated in the battle for league honours, but they did hand the champions a 3-0 thrashing in a MTN8 semi-final and can end this season with one trophy more than their rivals.
Pirates, who went on to win the MTN8 in November, are on course for a trophy double tomorrow, when they take on Sekhukhune United in the Nedbank Cup final at Loftus Versfeld.
The Buccaneers go into the game in good form, having finished second in the league, albeit a massive 16 points behind Sundowns.
Over the last few months Pirates have indicated they may be able to go head-to-head with Sundowns next season and tomorrow’s final will provide more evidence for or against that view.
It has been 12 matches since Pirates last lost - to Kaizer Chiefs in the February derby in which they gave away a freakish own goal in the last minute.
Of those 12 games, nine were victories and three draws including a 1-1 stalemate against Sekhukhune at the Orlando Stadium a fortnight ago. It was a dress rehearsal that will have made it clear to Pirates that tomorrow’s final is going to be anything but a walk in the park, even if the Soweto giants are the favourites.
Sekhukhune have lost only once in their last 11 games, in the process completing a major turnaround under wily Brandon Truter. He was brought in after they struggled through the early stages of the season under Kaitano Tembo, the ex-SuperSport United coach.
They finished the season in seventh place, which means they will meet Pirates again in the MTN8 in August, and had the fifth-best defence of the 16 PSL clubs.
Tomorrow’s match is effectively the end of the season, save for the promotion-relegation playoffs involving Maritzburg United, Cape Town Spurs and Casric Stars that commence on Sunday.
In England on Sunday Everton go into their final fixture of the season at home to Bournemouth and need to win to be sure of extending their proud 69-year unbroken presence in the top tier of English football.
That will ensure a 121st top-flight season for the club - a record unmatched anywhere in the world. A draw or defeat will only see them safe if Leicester and Leeds United fail to win their matches.
The last 10 games of this season’s EPL make up Sunday’s R500,000-added Soccer 10 that is set total a dazzling R4 million! It costs just R2 to bet a Soccer 10 and there’s no knowing how much you could collect if you correctly predict the outcome of all the games.