Pirates are finalising preparations ahead of their CAF Confederation Cup Final against Etoile du Sahel on Saturday, with the Bucs faithful quick to point to their past continental achievements when involved in exchanges with rival supporters.
Buthelezi feels the history of the club in the competition plays a major factor in motivating them to continue pursuing glory on the African continent.
“One of the reasons is that some of the African teams are not playing like they used to, but it also boils down to what they have done before,” he told Goal regarding the expectation placed on Pirates in continental competition.“How they won the first star is another element that encourages them.”
The former South African international feels that Bucs’ Soweto rivals Chiefs face too much pressure at Naturena for their coach to focus on continental competition, feeling that their focus is placed elsewhere due to the resulting effects of playing in CAF tournaments.
“Kaizer Chiefs could be one of the top teams in Africa but there is always a lot of pressure on their coaches,” he said. “With Chiefs, there is a lot of pressure due to sponsorships and the fans. The last 15 years they haven’t had the desire to play in the Champions League.
"They have seen that when teams go far in the CAF tournaments then they end up fighting relegation. So, there is a lot of pressure to say that if you are doing well on the continent then what about the league?”
Chiefs face Martizburg United in a League encounter at 6pm on Saturday night, two hours before Pirates’ kick-off against Etoile.