When Orlando Pirates face Maritzburg United at Harry Gwala Stadium on Sunday, they won’t settle for anything less than a win.
The Sea Robbers’ victory will probably help them keep the top spot in the Premiership rankings.
Despite having played one more game than Mamelodi Sundowns and AmaZulu, who are now in second and third place on the log, Jose Riveiro’s club currently leads the standings.
Despite the Pirates’ recent struggles with consistency, history predicts they will at the very least draw Sunday’s game, if not win it.
Maritzburg is a team that has long experienced frustration at their hands.
In 12 games, the Pirates have defeated Maritzburg without losing, winning 8 of them. Maritzburg defeated them most recently in December 2016.
Maritzburg, on the other hand, has had a sluggish start to the year and is now ranked 10th in the league with only six points after six games.
Farook Kadodia, the chairman of the Pietermaritzburg club, said during the offseason that the squad decided to hire John Maduka in lieu of seasoned coach Ernst Middendorp in order to advance the team.
The Maritzburg administration had become irritated with the team’s constant battle against relegation because they believed they were investing a lot of money that ought to have earned them a top-half league finish.
Maritzburg will aim for no less than a top-eight finish this year, and there is optimism under Maduka considering that he guided Royal AM to third place last season before amicably parting company with the team.
In order to jumpstart their season, Maritzburg may benefit from a victory against the Pirates. They have only managed to score three goals so far, while giving up six.
Maduka will also get a much-needed boost. Both the newly acquired Tumelo Njoti and the seasoned Travis Graham are expected to play after overcoming recent injury difficulties.