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Micho: The real test is the next match

Cape Town - Orlando Pirates head coach Milutin 'Micho' Sredojevic says that title talk is premature and wants his side to remain grounded.

The Buccaneers beat 2016 African champions Mamelodi Sundowns 3-1 in Pretoria on Saturday, having overcome Baroka by the same score-line in their previous match.

"The results of the last two games have been a good injection of motivation. After almost 15 months Pirates have secured two consecutive wins with six goals. This will inject us with confidence," he said.

The result took the Buccaneers to within five points of league leaders Sundowns, but the Serbian quickly played down his team's chances of challenging for the title, for now at least.

"When it is good, I do not fly and when it is bad, I do not give up. I would not be myself if I would tell you now that we are over the moon‚" he said.

"No, we are not. We need to be firmly on the ground. And in that regard, I would say two good steps‚ but we want many more steps.

"And the real test is the next match. Because big teams are recognised when they can repeat the things in sets of matches," he continued.

"When we started the league, we knew what the obligation was when we carry this badge. In every match, you have to have the intention to go in to win and to go and be a contender for any trophy. Therefore, I will not run away. But the favourites are still the respected opponents in front of us."

The Bucs mentor feels there is still much more to come from his team.

"We want to develop and improve and be much better than we are now. I see much room for improvement and space for development‚ and elements that are critical that need to improve‚ otherwise football will punish us next time.

"I see the things that need to be kept up and upgraded. And this is the driving force that pushes us to roll up our sleeves and go back to work."

The Sea Robbers welcome Polokwane City to Orlando Stadium on Saturday evening.

Kick-off is at 20:00.

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