ORLANDO PIRATES (1) 3
Ndah, Saleng, Makgopa
SUPERSPORT UNITED (0) 1
Pule
(After extra time)
Mihlali Baleka
ORLANDO Pirates’ MTN8 title defence is on track. The Sea Robbers beat SuperSport United on Saturday night to steer their ship to the semi-finals of the season-opening competition.
The Buccaneers’ victory was propelled by goals from match-day captain Olisa Ndah, Monnapule Saleng and Evidence Makgopa, while Vincent Pule scored Matsantsantsa a Pitori’s consolation.
The game was so taxing for both sides that SuperSport coach Gavin Hunt was red carded in extra time, while his counterpart Jose Riveiro got a yellow card.
This was a spectacle for the opening game of the season, and it will surely give the two teams a clear direction of their readiness going into the new season.
The first fixture of the season usually presents a true test of character for the players as there’s a high possibility of a slow start due to factors such as a lack of match fitness.
So, when Ndah momentarily forgot his toss duties, forcing referee Abongile Tom to whistle him to the line, that raised concerns.
But boy, as soon as red and black flares lit up at opposite ends of Orlando Stadium to not only correspond with Tom’s kick-off whistle, but also add colour to the grey skies, fireworks took to the pitch.
The visitors burst into life first, the fact that they had Pirates’ former man Pule, who was making his debut for SuperSport, adding more power to their arsenal.
It was such an impressive start for SuperSport that it animated Hunt, who encouraged every foray and yelled at Tom after a poor decision went against his charges.
Hunt, who was restless from start to finish, including sitting on a cooler box or coaching his substitute Lyle Lakay, felt he was hard done by on two occasions early in the first half.
He protested when Thabiso Monyane was cautioned with only a yellow card after hacking down last man Pule in front of the box.
Hunt also lost his cool when Tom failed to award his team a penalty when the ball clearly struck the out-stretched arm of Monyane inside the box.
By the time SuperSport had protested for a penalty that never came, Pirates also got into the match to make it a spectacle that kept every ‘Ghost’ who filled this venue on the edge of their seats.
Patrick Maswanganyi, one of the players alongside Relebohile Mofokeng who got the loudest reception when their names were read out at the start, was the conductor of the orchestra.
The ‘Weeh Tito, Weeh Tito, Weeh Tito’ chants continued occasionally thereafter, but it was Tshegofatso Mabasa who nearly steered the Sea Robbers into the lead.
Last season’s top goal scorer in the Premiership (16) did well to create space for himself in front of SuperSport’s goal area before forcing Ricardo Goss into a save after a hard and low shot.
Ndah regathered himself after that early slowness as he topped off his captaincy duties for the day with a goal, back-heeling coolly past Goss after some exceptional footwork and cross by Saleng.
SuperSport, though, restored parity just four minutes into the second half as Pule headed home on debut against his former team after being assisted by Bradley Grobler.
Pirates conceded after they were caught napping. But after waking up, they took the game to SuperSport, only to be stopped in their tracks by some brilliant goalkeeping from Goss.
After being initially flat-footed, losing balance towards the opposite end, the Bafana Bafana No 2 did well to regroup and punch away Mofokeng’s goal-bound shot.
The duo was back in another duel as Mofokeng hit a hard and low shot with his left foot before Goss dived and parried the ball to the upright, where it struck and was cleared away to safety.
Goss’ heroics ensured that he took his team to extra time, having also blocked Saleng’s shot from close range, as the two teams were locked at 1-all after regulation time.
Kabelo Dlamini, who replaced Mofokeng for extra time, proved to be Pirates’ trump card after playing an instrumental role in a free-kick that Pirates seemed to have perfected at training.
Maswanganyi and Dlamini stood over the ball for the set-piece before the latter raced wide and latched onto the former’s pass to deliver a cross that found Saleng, who easily tapped home.
SuperSport had another shout for a penalty fall on Tom’s deaf ears after the ball again struck Monyane’s hand inside the box.
SuperSport threw the kitchen sink at Pirates in search of an equaliser, but it wasn’t to be. Instead, Makgopa scored Pirates’ third into an empty net.