Orlando Pirates need to fight fire with fire against Stellies in MTN8 final

Going in search of a third MTN8 trophy in succession in Saturday's final against Stellenbosch FC does not add pressure on Orlando Pirates, utility player Deon Hotto says. 

Pirates are certain to have to fight fire with fire when they come up against one of the most combative combinations in the Premier Soccer League (PSL).

Pirates will look to add a fifth trophy in three seasons early in the 2024-25 campaign if they can beat well-drilled, hungry Stellies in front of a sold-out Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban. 

Bucs have swept almost all the country's domestic cups in Spaniard coach Jose Riveiro's two seasons in charge. 

They have won two MTN8s and two Nedbank Cups. Their opponents on Saturday won the only other cup on offer in that period in last season's Carling Knockout. 

Hotto does not believe aiming to become the first team to win the MTN8 three times in a row will nag at the back of Pirates' minds to some extent on Saturday. 

“To be honest I don't think there is pressure. All we have to do is wait for Saturday and be ready for the match, just get our minds focused on the game,” the 33-year-old Namibian left-back or left winger said. 

“There will be pressure, no matter what. But it's just to get our mindset right.” 

Pirates have had their best start to a season yet under Riveiro. 

While they have shown an ability to grind through the rounds in cup competitions, often against tricky lower league opposition, a disappointment in the coach's first two seasons was that slow starts in the Premiership resulted in gaps of 16 and 23 points as runners-up to seven-time successive champions Mamelodi Sundowns. 

Another let-down was that Pirates bombed out of the Caf Champions League in the second preliminary round with a shock defeat to Botswana's Jwaneng Galaxy last campaign. 

This season, Bucs' determination to have a good start in all competitions, amid signs Riveiro's game model is being implemented smoother than ever, has resulted in eight wins and two draws from their first 10 games, including three straight wins in the league. 

That also included a progression to the Champions League group stage, gaining revenge over Galaxy with a 3-0 aggregate win at the same stage.

Pirates have often shown fight for those results when things were not going their way, securing some of them via last-gasp goals. 

“Playing for a club like Orlando Pirates is always a privilege. It's a team that fights for trophies every season,” Hotto said. 

“That's just the chemistry that's around the team, to fight for any cup that's in front of us.” 

Bucs will need all that fight against the team in the PSL best known for that quality when they clash against Steve Barker's tough Stellies on Saturday.