A retired star who kept goal at PSL level believes perennial Betway Premiership bridesmaids Orlando Pirates are finally poised to lift the elusive trophy that carries with it a R20 million prize money.
Pirates finished runners-up in the league for a third successive season, plus won the MTN8, and were eliminated in the semi-finals of the CAF Champions League.
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Former goalkeeper Thabang Stemmer feels the premature departure of Jose Riveiro had a part to play in how things eventually unfolded.
"I'm impressed with Pirates because they had a great season, to be honest. It's just that the coach left the team, which isn’t easy for either the players or the technical staff, as they lost a leader who had a great impact," reflected the 45-year-old.
"The Pirates players looked tired from the numerous matches they played this past season. They played more games than the majority of clubs in the PSL, and because of that, I’m not disappointed.
"Losing Riveiro was like losing a parent to these players. Hopefully, the chairman will soon announce a new head coach so everything can settle down.
"I believe that because of the great season we've had, the players are secure, but as we know, big teams are always looking to add quality players whenever available in order to compete for trophies," he added.
Stemmer says Bucs will win the league next season if reinforce the attack, with the biggest challenge being depth up front.
"We need more attacking players, like (Mamelodi) Sundowns. They substitute an attacking player for another attacking player at Sundowns. We need the firepower up front if we want to challenge for the league title. We're ready to win it next season."
