In their 67 years in football Pirates have produced some of the best players in South Africa (Jomo Sono and Kaizer Motaung, for example) and won the league title more than any other team.
They’ve annexed the Premier Soccer League twice since its inception just over a decade ago and seem on course to equal Sundowns’ record of three PSL crowns.
The price for league success seems »to have been a lack of success in cup competitions, where they have become the masters of the first-round exit.
As we approach the Christmas break Orlando Pirates sit comfortably at the summit of the PSL table with 25 points, having played 11 games, winning seven, drawing four and losing none.
They play an entertaining brand of football with a purpose under the tutelage of Kostadin Papic. The coach has taken a team of young players and instilled in them a winning mentality and discipline.
The Buccaneers have what every coach dreams of: a large squad with multiple goalscorers in Phumudzo Manenzhe and Lebogang Mokoena. In the middle of the park Pirates are spoilt for choice, with Benedict Vilakazi and Steve Lekoelea — who dances with the ball when required and distributes it accurately when necessary — providing excellent service to the strikers.
But the secret of Pirates recent success lies in a defence consisting of goalkeeper Francis Chansa, Jimmy Tau, Papi Khomane and Lucky Lekgwathi. Pirates have conceded just eight goals so far in the league, while they have thus far scored 23.
As Papic says: ‘If somebody wants to beat us, they have to work very hard to do it.â€
The next team with their work cut out for them are Supersport United, who take on Pirates on Saturday night at the Johannesburg stadium.
Supersport United are on a high after clinching the Supa 8 trophy and reaching the final of the Coca-Cola Cup against Kaizer Chiefs.
Supersport United are eighth in the league but might not take this game too seriously, with the Coke Cup final, to be played in Bloemfontein, just a week away.
Supersport coach Pitso Mosimane might be tempted to rest key players against Pirates with an eye on the bigger prize next weekend. If he can beat Chiefs for a second time in three months in a cup final his team will go into the Christmas break with R3,3-million in their pockets.  Â
Mosimane and his players could be motivated to end Pirates unbeaten league run by a desire to emulate what Pretoria neighbours Sundowns did in the Charity Challenge: beat both Soweto giants . Sundowns did it in a single day, though, while United have a week.
But current form suggests a draw is the most likely result.