Orlando Pirates players in training as they look to mount MTN8 cup defence.
Orlando Pirates' coach Abdeslam Ouaddou has maintained that the squad has fully embraced the pressure of being the team to beat, using it as extra motivation to prove last season’s silverware success was no fluke.
Pirates are the team to beat this season; they are the defending champions of two domestic cup competitions, the MTN8 and Nedbank Cup, while pushing to reclaim the Betway Premiership title.
Having not found themselves in such a high-pressure yet privileged situation in recent years, the team’s character is set to be tested as they need to ensure they hit top gear across the board right from the outset.
Given that, Ouaddou was notably unhappy with the start made by some of his international players, lamenting that they were still in a "tournament mood" after their national team duty with Bafana Bafana at the World Cup last month.
