Orlando Pirates made a follow-up to last weekend’s Soweto Derby victory over Kaizer Chiefs with a 2-1 Betway Premiership win against Polokwane City FC at the Old Peter Mokaba Stadium on Wednesday.
On an evening the Buccaneers missed a number of good scoring opportunities, they managed to grind out a result and collect maximum points on the road. That keeps them at the top of the table, still tied on points with second-placed Mamelodi Sundowns who beat Golden Arrows 2-1 on the same evening.
Goal difference separates Pirates and Sundowns as the title race appear headed for a pohoto finish. Despite dropping points at home, Polokwane are unmoved at position seven where they have 28 points from 19 league matches.
From the team that beat Magesi FC last Friday, Polokwane City coach Phuti Mohafe had just one tweak. Midfielder Moketsi Batlhabane was brought in for the suspended Ndamulelo Maphangule.
Pirates coach Abdeslam Ouaddou made three changes from the team that started against Chiefs. Derby Man of the Match from that match, Kamogelo Sebelebele, was suspended, while Tshepang Moremi and Yanela Mbuthuma were dropped to the bench. In came Deano van Rooyen at right-back, as well as Andre de Jong and Evidence Makgopa who was starting for the first time since January.
POLOKWANE’S STUBBORN RESISTANCE AS PIRATES DOMINATE
Pirates almost went ahead off a glorious opportunity five minutes into the match when Makgopa came one-on-one with Polokwane City goalkeeper Lindokuhle Mathebula, who denied him.
Mathebula had a busy evening and was forced to save a powerful shot from Oswin Appollis, while De Jong also came close. The home side’s defender Thabang Matulidu then unleashed an ambitious shot from distance in the 20th-minute, but Sipho Chane was equal to the task to save what was Rise and Shine’s first meaningful effort at goal.
Pirates’ persistence almost paid off on the stroke of halftime when referee Luxolo Badi pointed to the penalty spot. He had adjudged Tlou Nkwe to have handled the ball on the goal line while attempting to clear Makgopa’s headed effort. However, Badi overturned the decision after consulting with none of his assistants.
BLUNT PIRATES ALMOST PUNISHED BY POLOKWANE
A breakthrough was to come for Pirates when Mathebula punched into play two shots, but the last one fell on Relebohile Mofokeng’s path and the Bafana Bafana star headed into the net seven minutes into the second period.
Moremi’s introduction added more firepower in Pirates’ attack, and soon after coming on, he side-netted as Polokwane faced danger. Another substitute, Mbuthuma, narrowly missed the target after Mathebula closed in on him in the 73rd minute.
Patrick Maswanganyi could have wrapped it up for the Buccaneers with eight minutes to go but his low shot went just wide. Having a slim lead and wasteful in front of goal, Pirates risked throwing away three points if their hosts were to hit back.
It happened just like that, and out of the blue, Rise and Shine finished a feed from Puleng Marema with four minutes to go after outplaying three Pirates defenders on his case. However, the Soweto giants reclaimed the lead right at the death after Maswanganyi volleyed into the next Dion Hotto’s cross from the left side.
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