Orlando Pirates and Kaizer Chiefs moved within two points of second placed SuperSport United after they both claimed wins in Saturday’s DStv Premiership action.

In Soweto, Tapelo Xoki’s penalty in the 79th minute gave Pirates a 1-0 victory over SuperSport, while Yusuf Maart’s penalty kick helped Chiefs defeat Maritzburg United 3-2.

In the first 10 minutes of play in Pietermaritzburg, Keagan Dolly and Christian Saile scored for the Chiefs.

Prior to halftime, however, Rafiq de Goede and Amadou Soukouna scored for the second-worst Maritzburg to tie the game.

A softly awarded and hotly contested penalty allowed Maart to score the game-winning goal in the 76th minute in front of a sold-out crowd of 15,000.

The focus in the richest national league in Africa has shifted to the race for second place, as Mamelodi Sundowns only require two points from their final seven matches to win their sixth consecutive title.

SuperSport is currently in second place with 39 points, followed by Pirates and Chiefs with 37.

A club that finishes second qualifies for the CAF Champions League and has the opportunity to earn at least $550,000 if it survives one or two qualifying rounds and earns a group spot.

In 1995, Pirates won what was then known as the African Cup of Champions Clubs, and in 2021, Chiefs placed second. SuperSport have once made it to the group stage.

SuperSport are surprisingly in second place after selling their best players, goalkeeper Ronwen Williams and midfielder Teboho Mokoena, to Sundowns, their Pretoria rivals.

Due to a substandard pitch, they have also been banned from using their home field and must find a new location for their remaining three home games, including a potentially pivotal matchup with Chiefs.

Chibuike Ohizu scored the first goal for Sekhukhune United, while Eliosa Ighodaro scored the equalizer for Chippa United three minutes later in a 1-1 draw.

Photo by Muzi Ntombela/BackpagePix