Pirates Suffer First Spain Pre-Season Defeat To Al-Ittihad
Orlando Pirates suffered the first defeat of their Spanish pre-season tour, falling 3-2 to Saudi Arabian giants Al-Ittihad at the Banús Football Center on Tuesday.
Despite the loss, the Buccaneers were far from outplayed and dominated long stretches of the contest. Pirates were also left frustrated by a controversial refereeing decision in the first half, which chalked off a clear goal for an ambiguous foul that would have put them 2-1 ahead.
The South African side entered the clash facing a star-studded Al-Ittihad squad. Captained by former PSG defender Danilo Pereira, the Saudi outfit also featured ex-Aston Villa winger Moussa Diaby and former Sevilla striker Youssef En-Nesyri.
En-Nesyri opened the scoring for the Saudis in the 11th minute, heading home at the near post to beat Sipho Chaine. Oswin Appollis nearly responded immediately for Pirates with a sharp snapshot inside the box, but Serbia international goalkeeper Predrag Rajković parried it away.
Pirates grew into the match, controlled the tempo through midfielder Thalente Mbatha, and drew level in the 27th minute when Mbatha’s deflected strike beat Rajković. Shortly after, Tshepang Moremi thought he had given Pirates the lead, only for the referee to rule the goal out for a foul.
On the stroke of halftime, Diaby restored Al-Ittihad’s advantage. The French attacker steadied himself inside the penalty area before beating Chaine with a precise finish.
Moremi had a golden opportunity to make it 2-2 early in the second half when he broke clear, but substitute goalkeeper Mohamed Al-Absi spread himself to make a fine save.
The match’s rhythm slowed down mid-way through the second half following a flurry of substitutions. Al-Ittihad extended their lead to 3-1 with five minutes of regulation time remaining, as George Ilenikhena smashed a close-range effort into the roof of the net.
Pirates pulled one back with the final touch of the match when Yanela Mbuthuma turned home a cross from Mpho Padime, concluding a tight 3-2 thriller.
Orlando Pirates return to action on Wednesday when they line up against Spanish La Liga outfit UD Las Palmas.
