Orlando Pirates didn't just win the Betway Premiership — they secured a spectacular domestic treble by adding the MTN8 and Carling Knockout Cup to their cabinet. Photo: Backpagepix
For nearly a decade, South African football had begun to feel predictable.
No matter how competitive the noise became around the Betway Premiership, the ending almost always remained the same — Mamelodi Sundowns standing above everybody else. That is why Orlando Pirates winning the league this season feels far bigger than simply ending a 14-year drought.
It may have fundamentally changed the balance of power in South African football. This was not a smash-and-grab title victory built on one good month. Pirates won the Betway Premiership while also lifting the MTN8 and Carling Knockout Cup to complete a remarkable domestic treble under coach Abdeslam Ouaddou.
And perhaps the most significant part of their success was the manner in which they achieved it.
