PSL title 'top' of the list

Johannesburg - Orlando Pirates captain Lucky Lekgwathi says defending the Premiership title remains top of his New Year's resolution list.

Pirates have already scooped the MTN8 and Telkom Knockout titles this season, and they will now shift their attentions to successfully defending the Nedbank Cup, and more importantly the PSL crown.

"This is a time when we look towards the year and begin to map our future as we prepare to take on the challenges that will come our way," he told the club's official website.

"The same applies with us at the club. Having had one of our most successful years in the club's history last year, many of our supporters will be expecting much of the same as we resume our quest to defend the league and Nedbank Cup titles. Of course, this is easier said than done, however the number one item on my list for my New Year's resolutions is defending the league.

"The league is what all great teams around the world are measured by and as defending champions of this prestigious competition, we have to go out of our way to protect it."

The Bucs' quest for back-to-back league titles will prove no easy task though, and the skipper is all too aware of that fact, given the side's rocky performances in the first half of the campaign.

He added: "It won't be easy because every other team out there will be aiming to dethrone us from our position. We are currently trailing Mamelodi Sundowns by seven points and cannot afford to drop any more points.

"It is imperative that we restart the season with three back-to-back victories to get back in contention of the title. We cannot allow the pacesetters to increase the gap to more than it is currently."