A second-half brace from Yanela Mbuthuma, as well as goals from Ghampani Lungu and Boitumelo Radiopane, secured Orlando Pirates a 4-0 win against Kruger United in the Betway Premiership at Mbombela Stadium on Tuesday evening.
The win means the Buccaneers stretch their lead at the top of the Betway Premiership to three points above rivals Mamelodi Sundowns. The result also means Kruger United remain rooted at the bottom of the log without a win in their opening five matches.
Here are five key talking points from the match in Mpumalanga.
BIG MOMENT FOR YANELA MBUTHUMA
After being under fire from the Buccaneers faithful for misfiring in front of goal, the two goals will be a confidence booster for Yanela Mbuthuma.
Despite his lack of goals, Mbuthuma has been one of Pirates’ key players in terms of performance but has struggled to find the back of the net.
He scored two goals in 12 minutes after coming on as a second-half substitute, which will be a relief for both the player and coach Abdeslam Ouaddou, who has kept faith in him.
BIG BLOW FOR PIRATES AFTER GHAMPANI LUNGU SUFFERS AN INJURY
The injury to versatile player Ghampani Lungu should worry the defending champions. The Zambian player has made an immediate impact since his move from Siwelele at the beginning of the season.
The 27-year-old was stretched off with only nine minutes played after suffering what looked like a hamstring injury.
Lungu has been on a good run of scoring form for the Buccaneers and also converted from the spot kick a few minutes before the injury setback, to be replaced by Bafana Bafana international Oswin Appollis.
BOITUMELO RADIOPANE WILL BE KEY FOR THE DEFENDING CHAMPIONS THIS SEASON
Pirates development product Boitumelo Radiopane is slowly proving that he might be one of the key players for the club this season. The 23-year-old scored his second goal of the season in his second start for the side.
With coach Ouaddou showing more faith in Yanela Mbuthuma as his preferred starter, Radiopane’s form could cause a headache for the Bucs mentor.
Once he works on his fitness level, Radiopane will definitely be a player to watch as Pirates look to defend their title.
THE THENDO MUKUMELA THROW-INS FACTOR
Coming into the match, one of the strengths for the Kruger United side was the ability to create chances via long throw-ins from Thendo Mukumela. Mukumela, who can also play as a goalkeeper, is known for his long throw-ins that sometimes cause problems for opposition defenders.
It was the case on Tuesday, especially in the first half when the throw-ins caused danger for Pirates on a few occasions, but their defence was quick enough to deal with them. A lot of teams will need to watch out as the season continues, as it could be one of the weapons the newcomers will utilise.
KRUGER UNITED GAVE A FIGHT OF THEIR LIVES
Unlike in their previous matches, where they failed to win, the Betway Premiership newcomers matched the defending champions on Tuesday but were unlucky not to score. It’s rare that the so-called small teams would want to go pound for pound with the defending champions, but Kruger United were fearless on the night, though luck was not on their side.
The team should take a leaf out of Tuesday’s performance when they face TS Galaxy in the Mpumalanga derby on 13 September. Meanwhile, Durban City and Stellenbosch FC played to a 0-0 draw at the Chatsworth Stadium also on Tuesday evening.
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