Bouncing Back In Style! Defending Champs Pirates Put 4 Past Stellenbosch In DDC Statement Win
Defending champions Orlando Pirates bounced back from their opening-day defeat in the DStv Diski Challenge with an impressive 4-1 victory over Stellenbosch at UJ Soweto Stadium on Saturday morning.
The Buccaneers came into Matchday Two desperate for maximum points after suffering a 3-2 defeat to arch-rivals Kaizer Chiefs in the Soweto Derby in Durban in their opening match of the new season.
Pirates started the match with purpose and made their intentions clear early on, with Aphelele Nzimande opening the scoring in the eighth minute.
The defending champions continued to control proceedings and were rewarded again before half-time when Khumoetsile Van Schalkwyk found the back of the net in the 38th minute to give Pirates a 2-0 lead at the break.
Stellenbosch, former Diski Challenge champions, came out with greater attacking intent after the interval and managed to pull a goal back to reduce the deficit to 2-1.
However, Pirates refused to let the goal disrupt their momentum. Van Schalkwyk restored their two-goal advantage when he scored his second of the match in the 80th minute, completing his brace and putting the Buccaneers firmly in control.
Nzimande then completed his own brace in the 90th minute, adding a fourth goal to seal a convincing 4-1 victory and secure Pirates’ first three points of the campaign.
The result provides the defending champions with an important response following their disappointing opening weekend against Chiefs and puts them back on track as they look to defend their title.
Elsewhere on Saturday, TS Galaxy recorded a narrow 1-0 victory over Durban City at Sugar Ray Xulu Stadium, while Siwelele secured a 2-0 win against Chippa United at UJ AW Muller Stadium.
The KwaZulu-Natal Derby between AmaZulu and Richards Bay was also scheduled for Saturday, with the match set to get underway at 12:00 at Princes Magogo Stadium.
The South African reserves league will continue on Sunday with four more matches, with the clash between Kaizer Chiefs and Mamelodi Sundowns set to headline the day’s action at Dobsonville Stadium.
In the other fixtures, Polokwane City will take on Golden Arrows at Old Peter Mokaba Stadium, while Kruger United will host Milford at Princess Magogo Stadium. Marumo Gallants will also face Sekhukhune United at TUT Stadium.
With the campaign still in its early stages, Pirates will be hoping their convincing victory over Stellenbosch marks the beginning of a strong run of form as they continue their title defence.
