Hugo Broos: Pirates Must Win or Kiss Premiership Title Hopes Goodbye
Bafana Bafana coach Hugo Broos believes Orlando Pirates will have to wave goodbye to their Betway Premiership title hopes if they fail to secure victory against Mamelodi Sundowns this weekend.
Second-placed Pirates will host league leaders Sundowns at FNB Stadium on Sunday in a must-win encounter that will determine their chances of staying in the title race. The Buccaneers currently trail Sundowns by 18 points but have four games in hand. A win would reduce the gap to 15 points, giving them an outside chance of challenging for the league crown.
However, as the saying goes, games in hand do not equate to points on the board. Pirates will still need to capitalize on their remaining fixtures to mount a serious challenge.
Broos, who announced his squad for the upcoming 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers against Lesotho and Benin on Thursday, will be closely monitoring the high-stakes clash. With nine Sundowns players and four Pirates stars included in his squad, he is hopeful that none of them will sustain injuries ahead of national duty.
“It’s important for Sundowns, but it’s also important for Pirates. I think if Pirates lose that game, it’s definitely finished for them to be champions. So it’s a very important game for both sides. Let’s hope and pray there are no injuries,” the Belgian tactician stated during the squad announcement in Auckland Park, Johannesburg.
Meanwhile, Broos addressed the return of Jayden Adams to the senior national team. Adams was previously withdrawn from the squad for failing to report to camp on time, a decision Broos made to teach the youngster a lesson. Since joining Sundowns, Adams has impressed with his performances and quickly settled into a star-studded squad.
“I think everybody knows why Jayden was not with us anymore. I hope he learnt a lot from what he did. That was what I wanted to achieve—that he understands that he cannot do what he did. When you receive a national team call-up, you do everything to honor it. I wanted to show him that this is not the right attitude,” Broos explained.
“Jayden, as a player, I like him. He is a good player. He plays well with Sundowns, so I did not see a reason why I should not call him up. I was afraid he wouldn’t get much game time because Sundowns have a lot of quality players.”
With the high-profile Pirates vs. Sundowns clash looming, all eyes will be on how the Soweto giants respond to the pressure. Can they keep their title hopes alive, or will Sundowns continue their dominant run? The stage is set for an intense battle at FNB Stadium.
