Las Palmas were unlucky not to score a goal of their own after hitting the woodwork twice in the second half.
Boitumelo Radiopane scored the winner for Orlando Pirates against UD Las Palmas on Wednesday. Photo: Lefty Shivambu/Gallo Images
Orlando Pirates edged UD Las Palmas 1-0 in a preseason friendly at the Marbella Football Center on Wednesday evening.
Substitute Boitumelo Radiopane netted the only goal in the closing stages of the match. It was also the first goal scored by either team after failing to find the back of the net in their previous two meetings.
Las Palmas were unlucky not to score a goal of their own after hitting the woodwork twice in the second half.
Pirates coach Abdeslam Ouaddou made a wholesale change to his starting line-up from the team that started in Tuesday’s 3-2 loss to Al-Ittihad.
The Moroccan rested started the game with mostly fringe players including goalkeeper Sipho Chaine, who was replaced by young Siyabonga Dladla in goal for this encounter.
Pirates were quick out of the blocks and came close to taking the lead in the sixth minute through Yanela Mbuthuma, but his shot was saved by Jose Antonio Caro.
Four minutes later, Manu Fuster wasted a great opportunity to put Las Palmas in the lead when he found himself unmarked inside the box, but his shot went narrowly wide of goal.
Dladla almost gifted Las Palmas a goal in the 21st minute when he took long to clear the ball and was closed down by Elias Romero, but the ball went just wide of goal, much to the relief of the young Pirates goalkeeper.
Former Siwelele FC teammates Neo Rapoo and Ghampani Lungu combined well in the 35th minute as they tried to conjure something up for Pirates, but the latter’s shot hit the side-netting.
A minute later Caro did well to come out of his area to close down Cemrin Dansin who was put through on goal by Mpho Phadime.
Daniel Msendami was unlucky not to put Pirates in the lead on the stroke of half-time when his goal-bound shot hit the crossbar with Caro well-beaten.
The teams were locked at 0-0 at the break.
Pirates continued to pose questions on the Las Palmas defence in the second and were unlucky not to take the lead in 65th minute when he chipped the goalkeeper, but the ball hit the crossbar.
The Buccaneers were also saved by the woodwork in the 84th minute after Taisei Miyashiro beat the goalkeeper, but the ball hit the upright.
The Spanish club were to be punished for this miss a minute later when Radiopane spotted the goalkeeper off his line and cleverly passed the ball into an empty net.
Pirates next face Neom SC in their final preseason game in Spain before heading back to South Africa to prepare for their opening game of the 2026/27 Betway Premiership season against Milford FC.
