Baroka FC stun Pirates on penalties in dramatic Telkom final

In a pulsating encounter which had a bit of everything, Pirates had to play a man short for 80 minutes after Marshall Munetsi’s 41st minute sending off, which came just before Baroka took the lead through Jemondre Dickens.

An equaliser from Musa Nyatama 12 minutes into the second half ensured extra-time, with more goals to follow as Mduduzi Mdantsane’s penalty was cancelled out by a Thembinkosi Lorch header, forcing the final into a penalty lottery.

In front of a near full house in PE, Baroka showed good early intent. But it was Pirates who had the first chance of the game, after Bakgaga skipper Mdantsane gifted Lorch the ball on the edge of his own box. The on-form Lorch was the man Bucs would have wanted the ball to fall for, but he lacked his usual composure and fired his shot too close to goalkeeper Elvis Chipezeze.

The Sea Robbers continued to gain in momentum and more attempts followed as Lorch had a shot deflected wide and Vincent Pule missed with a curler from 25-yards. The Soweto side remained very much on top, but the score-line remained unchanged as Justin Shonga and Pule also failed to hit the target.

The game was, however, to turn on its head five minutes before the interval when Munetsi clattered into Dickens with a nasty two-footed challenge. Referee Victor Gomes initially flashed a yellow, but after consulting with his assistant, he brought out the red in what was surely the right decision; indeed there was little protest from the Bucs bench.

Reeling from the setback, it got worse for Milutin Sredojevic’s team in first half added time when Siyabonga Mpontshane left his goal to go flapping at a deep cross from Ananias Gebhardt, but failed to make contact, which allowed Tebogo Sodi to nod the ball down for Dickens, who fired in a beautiful first-time volley past Happy Jele on the line.

It was some moment for the youngster from Cape Town, who was still playing in the fourth division earlier this year, and who has only taken part in a handful of top flight matches.

Baroka could have doubled their lead five minutes into the second half when Sodi showed some lovely skill to control a long pass and create space for the shot, but from an angle just 10-yards out, he lost his cool and blasted the ball over.

Instead of 2-0, it was to become 1-1 soon after as Pirates equalised in the 57th minute through Nyatama, who tapped in from a couple of yards out after Shonga’s free kick had struck the upright.

Then tension mounting, the two sides matched each other blow-for-blow until the next opening arrived in the 73rd minute, and the Buccaneers should have taken the lead when Augustine Mulenga combined superbly with Shonga, only for the former to poke his shot wide from just eight yards out.

Pirates were to remain on the attack for the remainder of regulation time, and it took two excellent reflex saves late on from Chipezeze to keep out Pule and Shonga.

Into extra time the game went, and with proceedings balanced on a knife-edge in what had become a real thriller, some lovely interplay from Wedson Nyirenda’s team eight minutes in saw Mdantsane play in Onkabetse Makgantai, who poked the ball past the advancing Mpontshane before being taken down by the Bucs keeper.

Gomes was left with no choice but to point to the spot, from where Mdantsane coolly slotted home to put his side 2-1 up in the 100th minute.

Sredojevic’s Pirates these days are made of stern stuff, though, and they once more fought back to equalise, Lorch netting in the 113th minute with a well-taken header after Shonga’s energy and drive had resulted in a perfectly-flighted cross to the back post.

The penalty shoot-out was a suitably dramatic affair. Mpontshane looked to have redeemed himself when he kept out Gebhardt. But even though Davies Nkausu also failed to hit the target for Baroka, misses from Shonga and Lorch, and a save by Chipezeze on Thabiso Kutumela’s kick, saw the Limpopo club claiming the glory and the winners’ cheque for R4 million, while Pirates’ four-year wait for silverware continues

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