Orlando Pirates secured maximum points with a 1-0 win over Orbit College FC in a Betway Premiership tie at the Orlando Stadium on Tuesday night, thanks to a powerful strike from Lebone Seema.
The win moves Pirates into seventh place on the league table with six points from four games, having won two and lost two.
The Sea Robbers had to shift their focus back to league action after a thrilling MTN8 semi-final, where they defeated Mamelodi Sundowns 4-1 on penalties after a 1-all draw in the second-leg on Saturday [2-2 on aggregate].
Pirates have now booked a spot in the MTN8 final for the fourth consecutive season, having won the title in the past three campaigns.
Despite their cup success, the Buccaneers have had a challenging start to the new 2025/26 Premiership season, having lost their first two league matches. With this win over newly promoted Orbit College, they will be hoping to build some momentum.
PATRICK MASWANGANYI MISSED A GOLDEN OPPORTUNITY
In the 6th minute, Pirates had a golden opportunity to open the scoring through Patrick Maswanganyi with only the goalkeeper to beat; however, the tame shot couldn’t hit the back of the net.
The Soweto giants struggled for much of the first-half, unable to create clear chances or string together effective passes. Orbit College, however, came close to scoring just before half-time when a mistake from Pirates goalkeeper Sipho Chaine almost gifted them a goal, but he quickly recovered to clear the ball off the line.
The teams went into the break with the score locked at 0-0.
In the second-half, Pirates coach Abdeslam Ouaddou made three substitutions, bringing on Sipho Mbule, Nkosikhona Ndaba, and Thalente Mbatha for Deon Hotto, Abdoulaye Mariko, and Sihle Nduli.
The changes paid off quickly. In the 56th minute, Pirates found the back of the net when centre-back Lebone Seema scored with a powerful long-range strike. The Buccaneers managed to hold on to their one-goal lead, securing their second consecutive league win.
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