Kerr: Why Buccaneers Can Dominate PSL After Title Win
Former Marumo Gallants coach Dylan Kerr believes Orlando Pirates have all the ingredients required to dominate the PSL for years to come after ending Mamelodi Sundowns’ eight-year reign and completing a historic domestic treble.
Pirates enjoyed a dream 2025/26 campaign, finally ending their 14-year wait for a league title by overtaking Sundowns in the race for the Betway Premiership crown. The Buccaneers not only won the league but also lifted the MTN8 and Carling Knockout trophies to complete a remarkable domestic treble.
Sundowns entered the season hoping to secure an unprecedented ninth consecutive league title, having dominated South African football for the previous eight seasons. However, they were unable to keep pace with a resurgent Pirates side that consistently delivered throughout the campaign.
While the Brazilians failed to win any domestic silverware, they still ended the season on a high by capturing the CAF Champions League title. Meanwhile, Durban City claimed the Nedbank Cup, ensuring Sundowns finished the domestic season without a single PSL trophy.
The former Gallants coach argued that Pirates are now in a strong position to establish a period of sustained dominance because of their financial strength, infrastructure, and resources.
“If they maintain it, you know, the difficulty is maintaining it. Sundowns have obviously got the money, but Pirates have got the money. They’ve got a chairman, and the chairman of the league is the chairman of Orlando Pirates,” Kerr told Sportswire.
“Pirates can dominate the PSL. There’s no reason why they shouldn’t dominate the PSL.
“They’ve got the players, they’ve got the staff, they’ve got the facilities. If you look at teams like Orbit College, who won the playoffs last season, and Magesi, Magesi train outside Peter Mokaba Stadium between the old stadium and the new stadium, and they play at Seshego.
“Pirates have got their own stadium, they’ve got all the equipment, they’ve got all the facilities for analysis, massage facilities, cryotherapy, ice baths, and a gym. The same applies to Sundowns. A lot of clubs in South Africa do not have these facilities.”
Throughout the campaign, Sundowns coach Miguel Cardoso repeatedly expressed concerns about fixture congestion, arguing that the club’s involvement in the CAF Champions League negatively affected their league challenge. However, Kerr believes such complaints should not be used as an excuse for failing to retain the title.
“Sundowns have had a very, very hard season. They’ve played games where they’ve had to travel for the Champions League, but Miguel Cardoso shouldn’t complain,” he added.
“He should never complain. He’s got a big squad of players, they’ve got private jets, they’ve got the best backroom team, and they’ve got the best facilities, so he should never complain.
“I never complained when Marumo Gallants played 13 games in two months, travelling to Libya, Morocco, Algeria, and Zambia. I never complained about that.
“It was an honour and a privilege to take that team there and play in the Confederation Cup. So yes, it might have cost them the league, but the fixture schedule didn’t dictate how Pirates won it.
“Sundowns could still have won it, just like Kaizer Chiefs could have won it during COVID when they were 12 points clear at the top of the league.
“Chiefs didn’t lose it because of COVID. Chiefs didn’t lose it because Sundowns were the better team. Chiefs lost it because they couldn’t perform and couldn’t get the results.”
After ending a 14-year league drought and claiming three major domestic trophies in a single season, Pirates will now face the challenge of proving that their title-winning campaign was not a once-off achievement, but the beginning of a new era of dominance in the PSL.
