Orlando Pirates have booked their place in the Carling Knockout quarter-finals after beating Cape Town Spurs 2-0 at the Orlando Stadium on Friday evening.
The game exhibited a higher degree of openness than anticipated, as Cape Town Spurs demonstrated a noteworthy performance, potentially even surpassing expectations in terms of opportunities.
Notably, Therlo Moosa emerged as a prominent figure, although he failed to capitalise on two occasions when attempting shots from beyond the penalty area.
In the interim, it is worth noting that Thapelo Xoki’s header, which occurred subsequent to a corner kick, regrettably made contact with the upright post after a duration of 24 minutes.
The Pirates team underwent a substitution in the goalkeeping position during the initial stages of the match, precisely after 31 minutes, as Sipho Chaine was substituted by Melusi Buthelezi. This marked Buthelezi’s first appearance as a member of the Buccaneers squad.
Deon Hotto believed that he had successfully scored the first goal in the 41st minute, however, Nazeer Allie skillfully cleared the ball from the goal line.
During the second half, Olisa Ndah was presented with a significant opportunity, wherein his header from a corner narrowly missed the target, striking the outer side of the post.
The Buccaneers achieved a significant advancement in their performance after a duration of 60 minutes, as Thapelo Xoki successfully executed a penalty kick subsequent to Zama Dlamini’s clumsy foul on Evidence Makgopa within the penalty area.
The Pirates swiftly gained a two-goal advantage within a mere four minutes, as Kermit Erasmus skillfully manoeuvred past the Tottenham Hotspur custodian. It is worth noting that Dlamini was substituted due to an injury, and Makgopa played a crucial role in assisting Erasmus.
Bandile Shandu was presented with a significant opportunity to extend the scoreline to 3-0; however, his attempt was thwarted, subsequently leading to Makgopa’s subsequent shot sailing above the crossbar.
Buccaneers supporters had additional cause for celebration as Vincent Pule made his long-anticipated return to the pitch in the 72nd minute, substituting Patrick Maswanganyi.
Photo by Muzi Ntombela/BackpagePix
