With the turn of the new year, Orlando Pirates will be banking on their ability to combine a strong run in the last six months of the seasons under head coach Jose Riveiro.
Where Pirates needed to improve to challenge for the league title was clear from the beginning of the season, as in the last two years, they were the in form team in the league, the closest to Mamelodi Sundowns and even shown by the second place finishes in the 2022/23 and 2023/24 campaigns.
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It was the form at the beginning of the season where the Soweto giants dropped crucial points, as they have been on fire in the previous new years, of 2023 and 2024, also shown by winning the Nedbank Cup in both seasons.
At the turn of 2024, Ezimnyama had a six-game unbeaten run in all competitions and only lost in March against Sekhukhune United in the league.
After that blemish, The Buccaneers went on an eight-game unbeaten streak, which included seven consecutive victories in the final stretch before only slowing down in May, after back-to-back losses against Richards Bay and TS Galaxy.
Riveiro's men, however, got the job done to qualify for the CAF Champions League, after edging Stellenbosch on goal difference, following a 1-1 draw against SuperSport United.
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The Ghost were also near unstoppable in the new year of 2023, as they suffered only three defeats, at the bulk of the busy period winning ten games out of 11 matches, with the only taint being a loss against Kaizer Chiefs in the Soweto derby.
Since the defeat to Chiefs February, The Buccaneers went 13 games unbeaten in all competitions until the end of the campaign, including a 2-1 win over Sekhukhune United in the Nedbank Cup final.
Pirates are competing in the CAF Champions League for the first time under the Vigo native and they will be hoping his knack to finish the season strong hold them in good stead.