Cape Town - Orlando Pirates coach Roger de Sa says injuries, and not a taxing CAF Champions League campaign, are too blame for their failure to defend their PSL crown.
Pirates' 1-0 home defeat to Mamelodi Sundowns on the weekend ended their title hopes, leaving them seven points adrift of leaders Kaizer Chiefs and four behind Platinum Stars.
The Buccaneers have been criticised in some quarters for giving up on the league title in favour of African glory. They recently reached the group stages of the CAF Champions League after overcoming TP Mazembe of the Democratic Republic of Congo.
However, De Sa rubbished such claims.
"It's more about the injuries we have picked up rather than the travelling and the games in Comoros, Zambia and Congo," he told the Football411 website.
"We have been missing a lot of regulars throughout the season.
"South African teams usually don't do well in the local league when they play in Africa but the injuries hurt us more. I'm just grateful there were a lot of players who put their hands up and played their socks off for us.
"Fatigue has set in for a lot of our regular players. If you look at it they have been playing without a real break for two years now."
Pirates host Black Leopards in their final PSL game on Wednesday night (19:30 kick-off).
Pirates' 1-0 home defeat to Mamelodi Sundowns on the weekend ended their title hopes, leaving them seven points adrift of leaders Kaizer Chiefs and four behind Platinum Stars.
The Buccaneers have been criticised in some quarters for giving up on the league title in favour of African glory. They recently reached the group stages of the CAF Champions League after overcoming TP Mazembe of the Democratic Republic of Congo.
However, De Sa rubbished such claims.
"It's more about the injuries we have picked up rather than the travelling and the games in Comoros, Zambia and Congo," he told the Football411 website.
"We have been missing a lot of regulars throughout the season.
"South African teams usually don't do well in the local league when they play in Africa but the injuries hurt us more. I'm just grateful there were a lot of players who put their hands up and played their socks off for us.
"Fatigue has set in for a lot of our regular players. If you look at it they have been playing without a real break for two years now."
Pirates host Black Leopards in their final PSL game on Wednesday night (19:30 kick-off).