Pirates shoot down Arrows to keep slim league title hopes alive

Orlando Pirates edged Golden Arrows 2-1 in an entertaining Betway Premiership match played at the Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban on Tuesday night.

The result saw the Buccaneers keep their slim league title chances alive and closed the gap on log leaders Mamelodi Sundowns to nine points, and they still have one game in hand.

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Pirates coach Jose Riveiro made seven changes to the starting line-up that played against Kaizer Chiefs in the Soweto derby last weekend.

Only Mbekezeli Mbokazi, Bandile Shandu, Tapelo Xoki and Makhehlene Makhaula were retained from the side that beat Kaizer Chiefs at the FNB Stadium last Saturday.

The fans who came to the stadium for this midweek game were treated to some enterprising football from both sides, but despite the many chances created, the teams were deadlocked at the break.

Arrows targeted inexperienced Yanga Madiba in the first half and were looking to use the pace of Siyanda Mthanti to try and settle the young left back who started in place of Deon Hotto.

Abafana Bes’thende’s first chance of game was to come from that side of their attack with Mthanti beating Madiba in the third minute before unleashing a powerful shot that was parried to play by Melusi Buthelezi. Luckily for him, the Pirates defence was able to clear the danger.

A minute later, it was the Buccaneers’ turn to threaten the Arrows goal, but Shandu’s shot turned cross went across goal and there was no one there to tap it in.

Pirates almost conceded from a corner kick in the 11^th minute, but Nhlanhla Zwane’s free header went narrowly wide of goal.

Some individual brilliance from Karim Kimvuidi saw him beat his marker before taking a shot at goal, but his deflected shot went narrowly wide of goal for a corner and from that resultant corner Xoki shot wide from close range.

Mthanti almost gave Abafana Bes’thende the lead on the stroke of half-time, but after doing well to outpace Xoki to the ball, he shot narrowly wide of goal.

Pirates finally took the lead in the sixth minute of the second half after Kabelo Dlamini found Patrick Maswanganyi with a well weighted pass. Maswanganyi did well to time his run before dribbling past goalkeeper Edward Maova before slotting the ball into the empty net.

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It took Abafana Bes’thende just eight minutes to find the equaliser, with Mthanti beating Buthelezi with a nice touch from a Velemseni Ndwandwe’s perfect cross.

Substitute Tshegofatso Mabasa retained Pirates’ lead in the 73^rd minute when he volleyed home a loose ball after Arrows failed to clear their lines and it proved to be the winning goal. 

Pirates will return to the same venue on Saturday, this time to take on Soweto rivals Kaizer Chiefs in a Nedbank Cup final.