Kaizer Chiefs defender Daniel Cardoso does not believe Orlando Pirates can catch up to Amakhosi or Mamelodi Sundowns, despite their current form in the Absa Premiership.

The Buccaneers currently occupy fourth place in the league standings with 33 points – 12 behind Chiefs and lagging Sundowns by 10 after 19 matches played this season.

The Sea Robbers are also on a seven-match unbeaten run and have won five out of six of their last games since head coach Josef Zinnbauer took over at Pirates.

However, Cardoso has ruled Pirates out of the running for the league title as he believes they are too far behind title-contenders Chiefs and Sundowns.

‘It is for us to lose, it’s in our hands. We do have the advantage and I hope we can use it,’ Cardoso told KickOff.

‘Playing smaller teams is a tough challenge, as you saw when we played Black Leopards. The teams are coming out to play. Competition is getting tougher now.

‘Pirates are starting to play good football, which is a good thing, [but] I didn’t say they are a threat at all.

‘There’s still quite a lot of points ahead of them, to be honest with you. I don’t see them catching us or going [close] to Sundowns, either.’