William Mokoena believes that the Orlando Pirates have a lot of potential to win the league! | OneFootball

African football legend believes Orlando Pirates can win the league title.

William Mokoena believes that the Orlando Pirates have a lot of potential to win the league!

The narrative surrounding Orlando Pirates at the start of the season was one of fragile hope and immediate concern. Under new coach Abdeslam Ouaddou, the Buccaneers stumbled from the gates with consecutive league defeats in August. Yet, what has unfolded since is a story of profound transformation—a metamorphosis that has veteran voices like former midfielder William Mokoena declaring this squad a trophy-winning machine with no excuses left to offer.

Mokoena, observing the sea change under Ouaddou, pinpoints a fundamental shift. The team, he argues, is now engineered for success. "This new coach came to the party," Mokoena stated on Soccer Beat, highlighting a revolution in physical preparedness. "There are a lot of changes, fitness-wise. Pirates are not playing like last season... You can see Pirates’ game, their tempo is too high."

This newfound engine was tested severely. After an early 10-match unbeaten run that showcased their potential, a setback arrived with a CAF Champions League exit. For many teams, such a blow could derail a season. For Ouaddou's Pirates, it became a defining moment of character. Instead of faltering, they solidified, demonstrating a resilience that has become their trademark. The response was emphatic: lifting the MTN8 and Carling Knockout Cup trophies, and powering to the summit of the Betway Premiership as the year concludes.

For Mokoena, this trajectory silences all early skepticism about Ouaddou’s appointment. The conversation has shifted from doubt to acclaim for the stability and high-performance culture the coach has instilled. "Everything looks balanced," Mokoena noted. "I don’t see any changes coming. If it is not broken, don’t fix it."

The conclusion, in Mokoena’s view, is inescapable. The quality of the squad, forged in fitness and tactical balance, has removed the luxury of explanations. "It was going to be a joke if Pirates didn’t win anything this season... With the squad they have, there are no excuses," he asserted, directing the ultimate challenge toward the league title that has eluded the club. "They have to win the league. It has been way too long now."

Through Mokoena's lens, the season is no longer about proving the coach's worth or the team's potential. It is about fulfilling an inevitable destiny that their own transformation has written—a narrative that began with questions but is now firmly focused on a single, demanding conclusion: ultimate domestic supremacy.