Pirates Jump Over Chiefs To Go Second In the Table
Orlando Pirates edged Magesi 2–0 at the newly renamed Orlando Amstel Arena, which was packed to the rafters on Saturday, reclaiming second place in the Betway Premiership and overtaking Kaizer Chiefs.
Pirates were eager to put their disappointing 0-0 draw against Sekhukhune United behind them, and they got a chance to do just that at their newly renamed home ground, Orlando Amstel Arena.
The Buccaneers kicked off with a bang, creating wave after wave of attacks in the first 20 minutes.
Their pressure paid off in the ninth minute when Yanela Mbuthuma’s right-footed shot from inside the six-yard box found the back of the net, thanks to Relebohile Mofokeng’s excellent cross.
Coach Abdeslam Ouaddou’s side continued to impress, and they doubled their lead in the 41st minute. The youngster Mofokeng scored a stunning right-footed goal from outside the box, assisted by Mbuthumba.
Pirates thought they’d wrapped it up three minutes later, but Tshepang Moremi’s left-footed shot from outside the box was brilliantly saved by Magesi’s goalkeeper Elvis Chipezeze.
The Buccaneers went into the break 2-0 up, setting themselves up nicely for the second half.
The second half was a tale of two teams, with both Pirates and Magesi trading chances in the opening 20 minutes.
The Buccaneers’ defence stood firm, and Magesi’s goalkeeper Chipezeze made some impressive saves to keep Pirates at bay.
The deadlock remained unbroken until the 75th minute, when Kamogelo Sebelebele’s right-footed shot from inside the box flew just wide of the post, denying Pirates a third goal.
The Buccaneers threw everything they had at Magesi in the dying minutes, but despite creating wave after wave of attacks, they couldn’t find the back of the net again.
The game ended 2-0 in Pirates’ favour, and the Buccaneers have now leapfrogged into second place with 32 points, level with Mamelodi Sundowns, albeit with a game in hand, having played 14 games to Sundowns’ 15.
Next up for Pirates is a tough trip to face AmaZulu at Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban on Tuesday, where they’ll be looking to reclaim the top spot in the Betway Premiership.
