Orlando Pirates head coach Jose Riveiro says they need to keep grinding out results in order to contend for the title against Mamelodi Sundowns.
Pirates secured a last-minute 1-0 win in the Soweto Derby against Kaizer Chiefs in which Sundowns responded on Sunday by trouncing Golden Arrows 4-0 in Tshwane.
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Sundowns have played one game more, and have a six-point lead, having won 12 games and suffered only one defeat, the 1-0 loss to Polokwane City in October.
Pirates have 10 wins and two defeats, having lost to Cape Town City and Stellenbosch FC with 1-0 scorelines.
“If we want to call ourselves league contenders in South Africa, in PSL, you know you have to go maybe over 70 points perhaps – how many did they get last season? 72, right?” Riveiro said.
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“So, any team who wants to be a league contender in PSL, must understand you cannot give away so many points, even though we played in FNB, it’s a home game for us, so the home games play an important role in that race.
“It’s a massive victory today, plus the emotional components and confidence, energy and all these things, we go to Polokwane on Wednesday and the prize is the same, three points, so that’s massive.”
Pirates take on Sekhukhune United this evening before the sold-out Sundowns clash at Loftus Versfeld.