Pirates Relegate Orbit College, Seal Historic Treble
Orlando Pirates ended their 14-year league title drought after defeating Orbit College 2-0 to win the Betway Premiership title, while also completing a historic treble and ending Mamelodi Sundowns’ long-standing dominance.
The Buccaneers went into the match determined to bounce back from last weekend’s disappointment, when they failed to secure the title after being held to a goalless draw by Durban City at home.
Pirates needed maximum points against Orbit College to finally clinch the league crown for the first time since the 2011/12 season and stop Sundowns from winning a ninth consecutive league title. It also marked the first time since the 2012/13 season that Sundowns finished a campaign without winning a single PSL trophy.
The Soweto giants ended the season on 69 points, finishing just one point ahead of second-placed Sundowns. Both rivals will once again represent South Africa in the CAF Champions League next season.
With the victory over the Mswenko Boys, Pirates also made history by winning the treble for a third time. They became the first club in Premier Soccer League history to achieve the feat three times, having previously done so in the 2010/11 and 2011/12 seasons.
This season, the Buccaneers lifted the MTN8, Carling Knockout, and Betway Premiership titles — the same trophies they won during their successful 2011/12 campaign.
Notably, this was also Abdeslam Ouaddou’s first season as head coach of the Buccaneers, and he immediately wrote his name into the club’s history books. Pirates only fell short in the Nedbank Cup and the CAF Champions League this season.
The Moroccan mentor took charge after the departure of Spanish coach Jose Riveiro, who guided Pirates to five trophies during his tenure, including three MTN8 titles and two Nedbank Cups. However, Riveiro was unable to win the league title, with Pirates finishing second in every season since his arrival during the 2022/23 campaign.
Ouaddou’s side started the match brightly and created numerous scoring opportunities in the first half. Their persistence eventually paid off on the stroke of halftime when Orbit goalkeeper Sabelo Nkomo punched the ball into his own net following a Pirates corner kick.
Pirates maintained their dominance in the second half and forced another own goal, this time from Orbit defender Ndumiso Ngiba, to double their advantage.
The Buccaneers continued to produce an impressive attacking display and created several more scoring opportunities in the closing stages, but they could not add to their tally as the match ended 2-0 in their favour.
