Orlando Pirates striker Tshegofatso Mabasa insists they have reason to walk with pride this season despite their best efforts only being good enough for a second-place finish again.
Pirates still have another two games to play, which will however make no difference to their league position in the Betway Premiership with second spot secured.
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If they win their two games in hand, then they will finish only eight points behind Sundowns.
Last season, the points gap between first and second was 23, while the season before, which was Jose Riveiro’s first at Pirates, it was 16.
"Sometimes I beg to differ," argues Mabasa when asked about there still being a gap between Bucs and the champions.
"I believe that we have done very well this season in the league as well, as there are records that we have broken for the club.
"Sundowns have managed to break records as well throughout this season.
"It is difficult competing against a team like that, a team that is always on their A-game, because it also requires us to be always on our A-game.
"I’m just glad that we have managed to achieve the things that we have managed to achieve this season.
"We are back in the Champions League again for another season and next season we go again and next season it will be no different to this season.
"It (Champions League) has made us stronger as a group and managed to unite us because I don’t think there is a player in the current Orlando Pirates team that has felt the hurt we felt after that game in Egypt.
"And it will live long in the memory, but we are proud of our efforts and the things we managed to achieve during this season.
"Next season, we go again and push with all the lessons learnt from this current season.
"We want to go out and win every competition that we compete in," says Mabasa, adding that the remaining league games are still worth the trouble.
"At the end of the day, we are still professional players and have a job to do and that is to win games.
"Every game matters to us as football players because we are professionals and have a job to do every day.
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"Even in the remaining games, it will be no different.
"We want to go out there and perform to the best of our abilities and get all three points in the remaining games," says Mabasa, speaking at Rudy Project event in Bryanston on Wednesday evening.
