Mbule And De Jong On Target As Pirates Cruise Past TTM in Nedbank Cup
Andre de Jong scored his first goal for Orlando Pirates as the Buccaneers cruised into the Nedbank Cup round of 16 with a commanding 4-1 victory over Tshakhuma Tsha Madzivhandila (TTM) at a bouncing Moses Mabhida Stadium on Saturday.
Any hopes of an upset were always likely to be a tall order for TTM, as Pirates arrived in Durban riding high after moving to the top of the Betway Premiership table with a midweek win over AmaZulu at the same venue.
Pirates also boasted a flawless record at Moses Mabhida Stadium this season, having won all four matches played there prior to Saturday’s encounter.
TTM carried some pedigree into the tie, having lifted the Nedbank Cup in the 2020/21 season after defeating Chippa United in the final in Bloemfontein. However, the club has since fallen down the football pyramid and is now competing in the ABC Motsepe League, South Africa’s third tier.
Before winning the cup that season, TTM underwent an ownership change, with Abram Sello taking over and later rebranding the club as Marumo Gallants at the end of the campaign.
Pirates, meanwhile, have reached the last three Nedbank Cup finals, losing only to Kaizer Chiefs at the Durban venue last season. That defeat proved to be Jose Riveiro’s final match in charge before his departure. The Buccaneers lifted the trophy in the 2022/23 and 2023/24 seasons.
The gulf in class between the two sides was evident early on.
Pirates were awarded a penalty inside the opening 10 minutes when Oswin Appollis was brought down by Sithembiso Ngobe. De Jong stepped up and calmly converted to open his account for the club. The goal came in his first start, following his January transfer from Stellenbosch FC.
It was also a first start for Mpho Chabatsane, who partnered captain Nkosinathi Sibisi in central defence.
Thalente Mbatha doubled Pirates’ advantage when his effort took a wicked deflection off Slindokuhle Mponzo and beat goalkeeper Lebohang Mohale, as the Buccaneers began to assert their dominance.
It looked like a question of how many goals Pirates would score. However, there was a brief scare five minutes before half-time when Mbatha conceded a needless free-kick outside the box after tripping Khutso Maotshe.
Ngobe curled the free-kick over the wall and past Melusi Buthelezi to pull one back for TTM in the 39th minute.
Pirates restored their two-goal cushion early in the second half when Patrick Maswanganyi made it 3-1 in the 50th minute. The attacker combined well with Yanela Mbuthuma before slotting past Mohale, having come on as a substitute for De Jong. Daniel Msendami also replaced Tshepang Moremi before the restart.
Pirates coach Abdelsam Ouaddou showed no signs of easing off, introducing Sipho Mbule and Kamogelo Sebelebele to inject fresh attacking impetus. TTM struggled to cope with the intensity, with several players succumbing to cramps as the match wore on.
Mbuthuma, who produced a standout performance, was unlucky not to get on the scoresheet, with Mohale making a fine close-range save. Maswanganyi also tested the goalkeeper, who pulled off another excellent stop as Pirates pushed for a fourth goal.
Ouaddou later introduced Thabiso Sesane, returning from a lengthy injury layoff. Sesane last featured in the Carling Knockout Cup in December, alongside Olisa Ndah, who has since left the club.
With the humidity easing, Pirates eventually found their fourth goal in the 90th minute when Sipho Mbule unleashed a long-range strike that left Mohale with no chance. But for the goalkeeper’s efforts, the scoreline could have been even more emphatic for TTM.
