Pirates have enjoyed a strong campaign so far, underlining their dominance by securing two trophies before the turn of the year and now turn their attention to the Betway Premiership and the Nedbank Cup.

According to the defender, the extended Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) break came at the right time, allowing the squad to reset mentally and physically ahead of a demanding second half of the season.

"The nice thing about this season was the long AFCON break," Xoki explained to journalists this week.

"It gave us time to relax and enjoy what we achieved in the first half. But that chapter is closed now. We sat down again, looked at our goals, and the Nedbank Cup is one of those targets."

The Buccaneers have promised themselves to remain competitive on all fronts until the end of the campaign, taking each challenge as it comes. Pirates currently sit top of the Betway Premiership standings with 35 points from 15 matches, holding a three-point lead over defending champions Mamelodi Sundowns.

Their Nedbank Cup journey has reached the last 16, where they have been drawn against Casric Stars from the Motsepe Foundation Championship. Despite the difference in divisions, Xoki is expecting a tough contest.

"Playing lower-division teams is always tricky. Casric Stars are doing well in their league, so we need to be at our best and make sure our supporters come out to back us," he concluded.

Xoki, however, remains out of action following a road accident last year as the Buccaneers look to widen the gap at the top of the log when they host Marumo Gallants at the Orlando Amstel Arena on Saturday.

The Buccaneers are sitting at the summit of the log with 35 points, two points behind second placed Mamelodi Sundowns, while their opponents, Gallants, are in seventh spot with 24 points.

Malesela challenges Gallants to stay on track