Orlando Pirates legend Lawrence "Killer" Maake is content with their DStv Premiership weekend performance against Richards Bay FC.
The Sea Robbers left many of their supporters disappointed following their 1-0 loss to the Premier Soccer League strugglers, leaving them in third position on the log standings.
A win could have seen Pirates move up to second spot on the table as they wrestle for CAF Champions League football with Stellenbosch FC.
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"I think we were not lucky against Richards Bay FC, it was not our night," Maake reflects, speaking to KickOff.
"We were all over Richards Bay FC. We created many chances and dominated possession. We spent a lot of time in the last third.
"We were just unlucky, and given our latest run this was not expected. But it was not a matter of complacency, I believe the boys played their part. I don't fault them for trying, it was just not our night. We were playing against a relegation-threatened team, so they were desperate to defend the three points.
"I can't fault the boys, they tried. I'm not gonna say he [Jose Riveiro] shouldn't play this one or that one. We had all the players we usually rely on.
"Looking at the points difference between us and Stellenbosch, I think we will finish in position two. They also lost their match," he added.
Maake expressed confidence in the Buccaneers playing in the biggest club tournament in Africa next season, with two games remaining of the season.
"We are going to play the CAF Champions League, the showing has been consistently good, and I think we deserve to be there.
"We can only be second-best to Sundowns in the country. The reason we start every season slow is because in the beginning maybe the coach is still struggling to find his combinations. There were times when I was personally not happy with his selections, but right now Jose Riveiro has shown he knows what he is doing at training.
"But it's always better to have a good finish compared to how you start."
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Bucs next face TS Galaxy FC at Mbombela Stadium on Saturday.
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