Orlando Pirates claimed a comfortable 3-0 win over Magesi FC in the Betway Premiership at the New Peter Mokaba Stadium to turn up the heat on Mamelodi Sundowns in the title race.
The Buccaneers accumulated crucial three points with goals from Patrick Maswanganyi, Kamogelo Sebelebele, and Oswin Appollis. After tonight’s win Pirates are sitting second on the log with 65 points on 28 games, while leaders Sundowns are on 68 points with only one match left before they wrap up their season.
Pirates hit the ground running in Limpopo, dismantling a relegation-threatened Magesi side in a frantic opening quarter-hour. While Magesi were desperate for survival points, the Buccaneers were hunting for a win to keep pace with Sundowns, who had earlier laid down the gauntlet with a staggering 7-4 victory over Siwelele FC.
The visitors’ intent was evident from the first whistle. After a series of slick passing sequences, Pirates broke the deadlock in just the eighth minute through Patrick Maswanganyi. Before the hosts could steady themselves, Kamogelo Sebelebele doubled the advantage in the 14th minute, pouncing on a defensive lapse to punish a hesitant Magesi backline.
ORLANDO PIRATES KEEP PRESSURE ON SUNDOWNS IN THE TITLE RACE
With the match heading for the half-time break, the tempo of the game dropped drastically, and Pirates went into the tunnel leading 2-0.
In the second half, Pirates continued where they left off before the break, dominating Magesi. The Sea Robbers came close to scoring the third goal through Deon Hotto, but the Namibian star missed the target from close range.
The Houghton-based giants eventually added a third from the penalty spot via Oswin Appollis, after the referee pointed to the spot for a foul on Sebelebele inside the area. Pirates comfortably protected their cushion to secure a vital victory, leaving Magesi staring down the barrel of relegation.
Pirates’ win was made even sweeter by a historic milestone between the sticks. Sipho Chaine etched his name into the PSL history books, recording his 19th clean sheet of the season. In doing so, the Pirates shot-stopper surpassed the previous record of 18 set by Ronwen Williams.
But the result leaves the Limpopo outfit rooted to the bottom of the table with just 21 points from 28 matches, making their drop to the Motsepe Foundation Championship look increasingly inevitable.
RELATED STORY: Bafana Bafana comfortably beat Lesotho in Bloemfontein