Orlando Pirates secured their place in the MTN8 final despite suffering a narrow 1-0 defeat to Stellenbosch FC at the Orlando Stadium on Sunday.

Zakhele Lepasa has gained recognition for his goal-scoring prowess while playing for Orlando Pirates, as he presently boasts a tally of 10 goals across various competitions.

The striker for the Bafana Bafana team experienced an unfortunate event when he unintentionally scored a goal against his own team, resulting in an own-goal against Stellenbosch FC.

Nevertheless, the Buccaneers, who were defeated by Stellies with a score of 1-0 in the second-leg clash of the MTN8 semi-final, managed to progress to the final by virtue of the away goals rule, following a 2-2 draw on aggregate.

Lepasa made several attempts to score in the correct end of the net, however, the custodian for Stellenbosch, Sage Stephens, displayed unwavering determination as he consistently prevented the goal-scoring efforts of the Orlando Pirates forward.

The Pirates will be afforded an opportunity to maintain their championship status as they endeavour to sustain their triumph in the upcoming cup competition. In the previous season, the Buccaneers successfully secured the aforementioned trophy alongside the Nedbank Cup.

Photo by Sydney Mahlangu/BackpagePix