Mohafe fires shots at Orlando Pirates’ title credentials

Orlando Pirates may have left Limpopo with three points in the bag, but Polokwane City head coach Phuti Mohafe has left them with plenty to think about.

In a stinging post-match assessment, Mohafe suggested that the current level of performance from the Buccaneers will not be enough to sustain a title charge against the relentless Mamelodi Sundowns.

The Soweto giants maintained their place at the summit of the Betway Premiership on Wednesday night, surviving a frantic finale to edge Rise and Shine 2-1 at the Old Peter Mokaba Stadium. However, the victory—secured in dramatic fashion—failed to convince the opposing dugout.

While the win ensures the Sea Robbers stay ahead of Sundowns on goal difference—after the Brazilians mirror the 2-1 scoreline against Golden Arrows—Mohafe insists that the “Bucs” are currently operating below the standard required to lift the trophy.

‘I Don’t See Them Becoming Champions’: Mohafe on Orlando Pirates

Speaking to the media after the final whistle, a defiant Mohafe didn’t mince his words when analysing the league leaders’ display.

“You see, if they can continue playing like this, I don’t see them winning the championship. If they will play the way they played today [Wednesday night],” Mohafe remarked.

The Polokwane City mentor attributed Pirates’ struggles to his own side’s tactical discipline rather than just a poor night at the office for the visitors. He suggested that his technical team had successfully mapped out the Buccaneers’ weaknesses.

“Not knowing that, maybe our tactical aspects or our tactical acumen were spot on. Maybe we planned very well for them, and that is why they struggled against us. But with the performance that they gave, I don’t see them becoming champions.”

A Bitter Pill to Swallow for Rise and Shine

The defeat was particularly painful for Polokwane City, marking their first home loss of the campaign. Mohafe argued that his side deserved at least a point for their efforts, especially considering they managed to breach a Pirates defence that has been notoriously difficult to break down this season.

“It’s a difficult defeat to accept, but you check on how the players played, they gave a good account of themselves,” he added.

Despite the result, Mohafe found a silver lining in the way his players exposed the cracks in the Pirates machine. “We were playing one of the big teams in Africa. A team that is free-scoring and a team that is not conceding many goals. So scoring against them for us was a plus because we saw that there are certain things that they are not good at. It’s not a good defeat because a good reflection of the match would have been a draw.”

With the title race reaching a boiling point, the question now remains: Was this just a “grind-it-out” win for a future champion, or has Mohafe provided the blueprint for the rest of the league to topple the leaders?