Orlando Pirates coach Milutin Sredojevic is expecting a very ‘thrilling and competitive’ 2019-20 Premier Soccer League (PSL) season.

The 49-year-old guided the Buccaneers to a second-place finish in the Absa Premiership for the second consecutive year during the 2018-19 campaign.

However, Sredojevic feels his side have improved during his second spell at Pirates and believes they will be ready for the new season.

‘One thing is for sure, we have had steady progress and we are growing as a team. It has been shown in the last two seasons,’ Sredojevic told Newzroom Afrika.

‘In the 2017-18 season, we finished second with 55 points. Last season, we finished second with 57 points. One goal denied us the championship.’

Sredojevic believes that their Soweto rivals, Kaizer Chiefs, will be one of the teams competing for major silverware during the new season after signing the likes of Kearyn Baccus, James Kotei, Lazarous Kambole and Samir Nurkovic.

‘Now, we have no right to think everything will be given to us on a silver platter. We have to work really hard and we have to know that the champions, Sundowns, are getting strong,’ he added.

‘Kaizer Chiefs are also getting strong with the players they got.

‘Other teams, Bidvest Wits, Cape Town City and SuperSport United, all of them [are also getting strong]. We are expecting a thrilling and competitive season.’

In Orlando Pirates’ first game of the new season they take on Kaizer Chiefs in the 2019 Carling Black Cup at the FNB Stadium on 27 July, before opening their PSL campaign at home to Bloemfontein Celtic on 3 August.