Orlando Pirates advanced to the quarter-final of the 2025 Carling Knockout Cup with a 1-0 victory over Siwelele FC in the Round of 16 at Orlando Stadium, thanks to a spectacular goal by Mbekezeli Mbokazi.
The talented defender won the ball in his own half and caught Siwelele goalkeeper Samkelo Xulu off his goal line to net a sublime strike.
The Buccaneers hosted Siwelele at home, eyeing a place in the quarter-final of the Carling Cup. Pirates came into the cup tie as favourites after displaying an impressive run of form in the past few matches.
Pirates are unbeaten in their last 10 matches across all competitions. They won seven matches in a row and kept seven clean sheets. Before switching their focus to the beer cup, the Sea Robbers secured a crucial 2-0 victory over TS Galaxy in the Betway Premiership in midweek, with two goals from Evidence Makgopa and Tshegofatso Mabasa.
In a match against Siwelele, Pirates had a promising start after creating most of the chances. The Soweto giants won a penalty in the opening five minutes of the match after Makgopa was fouled in the box. The Bafana Bafana striker stepped forward to take the penalty. However, he hit the goalpost, and the scoreline remained at 0-0.
While Pirates continued their dominance and search for a goal, they were wasteful in the final third and went into the half-time break deadlocked at goalless.
ABDOULAYE MARIKO NEARLY SCORED FOR PIRATES
In the second stanza, Pirates maintained their dominance and came close to finding the back of the net through Abdoulaye Mariko, who came on at halftime. However, his attempt went straight to Siwelele’s goalkeeper, Samkelo Xulu.
Pirates created more chances, bringing in Tshegofatso Mabasa and Kamogelo Sebelebele in place of Relebohile Mofokeng and Makgopa to search for a winning goal.
The tempo of the match dropped in the closing stages, with the possibility of extra time fast approaching as the two sides struggled to score.
Mbekezeli Mbokazi scored the all-important goal in the 87th minute as Pirates booked a spot in the quarter-final in the Carling Cup after beating the Bloemfontein-based side 1-0.
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