Orlando Pirates aim to turn MTN8 final defeat into Betway Premiership response

Orlando Pirates must quickly recover from their 2-0 MTN8 final loss to Mamelodi Sundowns when they face TS Galaxy in the Betway Premiership on Tuesday.

The Buccaneers’ defeat at the weekend ended their hopes of winning the MTN8 for a fifth consecutive season. Teboho Mokoena and Iqraam Rayners scored for the Tshwane club, leaving Abdeslam Ouaddou’s team to redirect their attention to league football.

Pirates assistant coach Rayaan Jacobs said the squad had already moved on from the disappointment and was focused on producing an immediate response.

“Back to business, I mean, no time to rest, got to pick up the pieces and go again,” Jacobs said, according to the club’s media department.

The club’s next challenge will come at the Orlando Amstel Arena, where Pirates will attempt to maintain their strong home form against a TS Galaxy side Jacobs believes has performed well on the road this season.

“We’ve got to show some bounce back ability tomorrow evening. We know we’ve got a tough opponent in front of us. They’ve been good away from home this season, but we’ve been solid at Orlando,” he said.

“So everyone is ready to go. We’ve done some extended recovery and for those who didn’t get too many minutes on the weekend, we’ve done a good session today.”

Jacobs: Pirates ready for Galaxy test

The assistant coach said the preparations had included analysis of both opponents and Pirates’ own performance, with the squad identifying areas that needed improvement before the midweek fixture.

“I think we’ve covered all the areas. I think we’ve looked into the opponent. We’ve looked into ourselves,” Jacobs added.

“We found areas where we can improve and we’re good to go. We expect to get all three points tomorrow.”

Pirates will be seeking a return to winning ways after Sundowns’ goals settled Saturday’s final, while their home record will provide confidence ahead of the meeting with TS Galaxy.

The match is scheduled to begin at 19:30 on Tuesday at the Orlando Amstel Arena.