Bucs take second in their stride

Micho downplays runners-up tag

Orlando Pirates coach Milutin Sredojevic insists that finishing second is nothing special for the Buccaneers.

“This is normal‚ we don’t believe that we have done anything special‚” he said after second place in this season’s Absa Premiership for his club was confirmed on Saturday.

Pirates still had remote hopes of becoming champions going into the penultimate round of the season but with Mamelodi Sundowns beating Ajax Cape Town and Pirates losing at Cape Town City‚ the top two placings were confirmed.

“If our conversion rate in the first half of the season had been better‚ we could have gone one step further‚ but we need to say that we grew up as the season went on‚” Sredojevic said.

“So‚ we shall take this as a rebuilding process‚ as a process that has seen us look for stability in the second half of the season and we have proven ourselves.”

Last season the Buccaneers had their worst ever season when they finished 11th. But this time they have made sure of African Champions League qualification for 2019.

“We got 19 more points than we did last season‚” said Sredojevich.

Second place is Pirates’ best position since they won the league in 2012. Since then they have finished third (2013)‚ fourth (2014)‚ fourth (2015)‚ seventh (2016) and 11th in 2017.

We could have gone one step further