The former AmaZulu captain joined the Buccaneers seven months ago and has made 10 appearances, with coach Jose Riveiro forced to choose between Makhaula and several other options.

With Pirates' DStv Premiership season kicking off tomorrow night against Stellenbosch FC, the 33-year-old expresses his desire to be a regular.

"Competition is stiff and it's all about working hard. It's all about doing extras and it's all about accepting the faults that you had on your friendly games. For me, it's all about working hard and I think even them, maybe, they work harder than me but I feel like we are gonna compete this season. We have a good squad," Makhaula said.

Makhaula expects Riveiro to find a balance this season, given Pirates are not only involved in four different tournaments in the PSL, but return to CAF Champions League as well.

"In the middle, it's quite difficult but once you sniff, then someone is gonna take your position. So, you just have to be consistent all the time. I think there will be a lot of rotation because you can't play the same team every time," he added.

His direct competition for the anchorman role includes Miguel Timm, Ben Motshwari and Thabang Monare – players that will prove tough to displace when they find their rhythm over time.

"If the coach finds his combination and if he finds his winning team then it's gonna be difficult for the coach to try and put those ones who don't have minutes. The way we've been doing our preseason, I think everyone is going to get a chance. We just have to support whoever is going to play and give it our all."

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