Orlando Pirates face a make or break seven days starting on Saturday when they play three vital Absa Premiership matches at home, kicking off with a showdown against defending champions SuperSport United at the Johannesburg Stadium. Kick-off is at 8pm.

Next Wednesday the Bucs welcome Maritzburg United to the same venue and next Saturday (Jan 17) they host Golden Arrows to complete a busy restart of the second half of the Premiership season.

Said Bucs spokesman Mickey Modisane: "It is vital we collect nine points from our next three home games. The fact they come one after the other means if we win all three, it would be a major boost and see Pirates turn the corner and lay a solid platform to win the championship."

Pirates are sixth with 20 points after picking up seven points form a possible 12 in December.

But Pirates coach Ruud Krol knows he faces a tough battle against SuperSport. It was Gavin Hunt's men that knocked the Buccaneers out of the MTN 8 competition at the Johannesburg Stadium at the start of the season, winning 2-1. But the former Dutch captain, Krol, was stil settling in after taking over a month earlier.

Said Modisane: "The coach has settled in well since then. United are always a tough hurdle. We want to set the record straight after that defeat in the MTN 8. Beating United will be a massive boost, but we also know if we are to achieve our goal of winning the league, we have to win our home games. That is why, starting on Saturday, we face a testing seven days where we need to restart the league campaign on a winning note by collecting nine points."

Bucs face United minus four players who are on the injury list. Out of action are defenders Innocent Mdledle, Distin Makita and midfielders Tlou Segolela and Thulasizwe Mbuyane.

Meanwhile Modisane stressed that Bucs' midfield maestro, Teko Modise, is not leaving the club in the January transfer window period. There has been speculation that the Pirates and Bafana Bafana kingpin could be the target of struggling English Premiership club Newcastle United.

"If Modise leaves for a European team it will only happen at the end of the season, not now. Modise is our trump card and we need him to help us win the league, so we want to assure or supporters there is no chance of him leaving any time soon," Modisane added

Modisane also said a move to England would depend on the deal and Bucs chairman Irvin Khoza. "The deal needs to protect and benefit Modise. But the bottom line is, he will not be going anywhere until at least the end of the season. Not only do we want to win the league, but we are desperate to get back into the African Champions League and we can only compete in Africa if we win the Premiership. To achieve these goals we need Modise."

"While the club would never stand in Modise's way, but the chairman will make sure any deals that surface were solid and the player is looked after."

Sapa

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