Pirates Dethrone Rivals With Record-Breaking 75-Point Season
Orlando Pirates have been officially crowned DStv Diski Challenge (DDC) champions after a clinical 2-0 victory over Mamelodi Sundowns at Dobsonville Stadium on Saturday.
The Buccaneers sealed the title in clinical fashion on the final day of the season, leaving no doubt about their supremacy.
The Sea Robbers took control early, netting twice in the first half. Cristian Derbyshire opened the scoring with a powerful header from a corner, before Mpho Padime doubled the lead from the penalty spot just before the break. Pirates were awarded a second penalty in the latter stages, but Sundowns goalkeeper Nqobani Biyela denied Jabulani Mokone from 12 yards.
Pirates entered the “winner-takes-all” clash needing only a draw to secure the championship. In contrast, the Brazilians faced a mountain to climb, requiring a victory by a margin of three or more goals to snatch the title.
This triumph marks Pirates’ first-ever DDC league title since the competition’s inception in the 2014/15 season, finally ending a decade of heartbreak in the reserve league. For head coach Roscoe Krieling, this is a second taste of glory; he previously lifted the trophy with SuperSport United in the 2022/23 season.
Krieling’s debut campaign with the Buccaneers has been record-breaking. Having joined at the start of the season following the transition of the SuperSport United DDC structure to Siwelele, Krieling replaced Joseph Makhanya, who moved to lead Pirates’ ABC Motsepe League outfit.
Pirates finished the season with a staggering 75 points, shattering the previous record of 70 points set by arch-rivals Kaizer Chiefs just last season. While Chiefs lost their points record, they made separate history earlier on Saturday by thrashing Chippa United 11-0—the biggest victory in Diski Challenge history.
The Buccaneers are now on the verge of an unprecedented “Double.” If Abdeslam Ouaddou’s senior side can overtake Mamelodi Sundowns in the Betway Premiership, Orlando Pirates will become the first club in PSL history to win both the top-flight league and the reserve league in the same season.
Pirates currently sit second in the Betway Premiership with 62 points and three games remaining, trailing Sundowns (65 points) who have only two fixtures left to play.
Other DDC Final Day Results:
- Golden Arrows 3-1 Polokwane City
- Richards Bay 4-0 Sekhukhune United
- TS Galaxy 1-0 AmaZulu
- Marumo Gallants 4-1 Orbit College
- Durban City 2-2 Magesi FC
- Stellenbosch FC 3-2 Siwelele
