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Cape Town - Following their slow start to the 2015/16 season mainly due to their participation in the CAF Confederation Cup, Orlando Pirates will look to claw their way back up the log table in the month of January.
Pirates will play host to University of Pretoria at the Orlando Stadium on Wednesday night in an Absa Premiership encounter and will be eyeing nothing less than maximum points.
Meanwhile, the club’s Administrative Officer Floyd Mbele, acknowledges the tough schedule ahead but has called on for support of the Ghost and everyone to focus on the task at hand.
“We have key games coming up,” said Mbele on the club's website.
“With how the games have gone in this league, you can see that there is no easy match in the Premier Soccer League.
"When you consider the fact that we will be playing against the likes of Tuks, Jomo Cosmos and Martizburg United this month, we cannot afford to be complacent because teams at the bottom of the table are unpredictable and will do anything they can to get one over you.
"They are like a wounded and cornered animal; the most dangerous kind there is.
“As management we have met with the technical team and made our feelings known to them however, we can’t discount the fact that the team has been through an incredibly difficult first half of the season, and we are now faced with an even harder second half with all the back-to-back games that are lined up.
“All that aside, the head coach and his technical team know that the team will need to dig deep to find that missing gear and get back to a place more akin to the stature of a giant of South African football.
"The University of Pretoria, who lie in 15th place, are next on the calendar and they will be looking to do everything they can in a bid to climb out of their precarious position, making this a trickier fixture than it seems.
"Immediately after that are two trips to other relegation candidates Maritzburg and Cosmos, before we return home to close off the month with a Soweto Derby.”
He further added: “It’s with that in mind that we call on our supporters to rally behind the players and the technical team.
"Losing has never been the culture of this club and therefore we understand their disappointment however, at this point in time the players need their support to help get them back to winning ways.”
Kick-off is at 19:30.
