Orlando Pirates secured their spot in the MTN8 final after a 4-1 victory on penalties against Mamelodi Sundowns. The second leg at Lucas Masterpieces Moripe Stadium finished in a 1-1 draw, resulting in an aggregate score of 2-2.
Iqraam Rayners opened the scoring in the first half before Pirates equalised via Kamogelo Sebelebele, who also scored in the first leg.
The Buccaneers made one change to their starting lineup that played against Stellenbosch in the midweek. Patrick Maswanganyi replaced the injured Deano Van Rooyen. This moved Kamogelo Sebelebele to right-back, with Maswanganyi taking the number 10 position.
Meanwhile, Masandawana made eight changes to the line-up that featured against Magesi FC on Wednesday, bringing their regular starters back into the lineup.
The game started with a scare for the home side in the opening moments of the match. Just two minutes in, Deon Hotto’s effort looked destined for the back of the net, but it curled just wide of the post, leaving the visitors close to an early lead.
The home side struggled to dismantle the Pirates’ defensive line, often finding it difficult to create meaningful attacks and penetrate their penalty area.
However, Bafana Ba Style began to find its rhythm, making several forward movements. They opened the scoring in the 17th minute when Iqraam Rayners capitalised on a loose ball from a poor clearance by Lebone Seema.
The Sea Robbers made several attempts to bounce back early in the first half, but Miguel Cardoso’s troops remained solid. Abdeslam Ouaddou made an early change before half-time, taking off Maswanganyi, replacing him with Bandile Shandu.
The match went into half-time with the hosts leading 1-0. The second half began with immediate danger from Sundowns. Arthur Sales set up Rayners, who fired a shot that rattled the post, denying the home side a chance to extend their lead. In the 54th minute, Chaine came up with a big save, stopping a powerful strike from Tashreeq Matthews.
In an effort to make a quick comeback, Pirates made two changes, taking out Evidence Makgopa and Sihle Nduli for Tshegofatso Mabasa and Abdoulaye Mariko. Sundowns, on the other hand, pulled out Matthews, introducing Thapelo Maseko.
In the 73rd minute, Pirates eventually found a leveller through Kamogelo Sebelebele, who scored his third goal in the colours of Ezimnyama Ngenkani. With the aggregate score tied at 2-2, the game went to penalties after a hard-fought match where neither side could score a decisive goal.
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