GAME DAY | Orlando Pirates set to close in on league glory and domestic treble

Euphoria could sweep across most parts of Soweto and the country as Orlando Pirates stand on the brink of returning to the pinnacle of South African football by Saturday night.

Pirates will face Durban City in their penultimate Betway Premiership match at Orlando Amstel Arena on Saturday afternoon (3pm kick-off). Should they win, they will climb to the top of the log with 68 points, level with Mamelodi Sundowns, who would trail on goal difference.

Given that Sundowns have already wrapped up their league campaign, the standings would ultimately mean that Pirates finish as champions of the land regardless of what happens in their season finale against Orbit College at Mbombela Stadium next Saturday (3pm kick-off).

Winning the league title would complete Pirates’ domestic treble, having already lifted the MTN8 and Carling Knockout Cup. Coincidentally, the last time Pirates won the league and completed a domestic treble was during the 2011/12 season.

A successful treble pursuit would speak volumes about the coaching credentials of Abdeslam Ouaddou, who would have won all three trophies at the first attempt.

Granted, Ouaddou inherited greater squad depth than most of his predecessors, including Jose Riveiro, but it still required planning, strong synergy and a never-say-die attitude for him to get the best out of his players.

The duo of Oswin Appollis and Relebohile Mofokeng has flourished under the Moroccan this season, and winning the league would be a testament to their exploits, strengthening their cases as frontrunners for the coveted PSL Footballer of the Season award at the end of the campaign.