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The South African
28-05-2025
- Sport
- The South African
Betway Premiership: Orlando Pirates vs Magesi FC
Orlando Pirates will conclude their 2024/25 season with a return to Orlando Stadium where they host Betway Premiership newcomers Magesi FC on Wednesday evening. On the final match day of an eventful campaign, the Soweto giants make one last appearance in front of the Bucs faithful as they take on the Limpopo outfit, who stand between them and a strong finish. Orlando Pirates will be looking to close things off with their 20th league win after falling short in their quest to reach that mark over the weekend. They came from a goal down to clinch a point against AmaZulu at Moses Mabhida Stadium, taking their season tally to 60 points. While unbeaten in their last six matches, they have dropped four points through stalemates in recent weeks. This run includes their first league draw in Soweto which restricted their home points tally to 31 in 13 matches. The Buccaneers remain one of this season's best performers at homee, second only to Mamelodi Sundowns in this regard having emerged victorious against 10 of their visitors, while the next best team finished with seven wins. They have one more chance to delight their home fans as they gear up to host Dikwena tša Meetse, who have recently confirmed their spot in the top flight for another season. Magesi's point at home to Marumo Gallants last Saturday eliminated the threat of relegation heading into the final match day. They solidified their spot in 13th place, four points clear of 15th place SuperSport United who still have a game to complete. That is one season objective achieved by the top flight newcomers, who could finish even higher up the table with a good result against the Buccaneers. However, they will need to overturn their away form in order to do so. Owen Da Gama's men have been among the worst performers on the road this season, with just nine out of a possible 36 points collected. Their last away win was against provincial rivals Polokwane City four months ago, and they arrive in Soweto having lost each of their last four games as visitors. It's the longest ongoing away losing streak in the league, but Magesi's giant-killing pedigree has been on full display throughout their debut campaign. They boast big scalps such as Stellenbosch and TS Galaxy – who both finished in the top eight – and have their sights firmly set on their biggest one yet as they close out the season against the Soweto giants. Bucs right-back Bandile Shandu is back to contest a spot in the match-day squad, following his absence over the weekend. The 30-year-old was unavailable for the trip to his home province due to a caution picked up days earlier – his fourth of the season – which breached the suspension threshold. He returns to bolster the squad, which could still be missing a few key names for the fixture. Striker Evidence Makgopa is among the doubtful starters along with midfielder Makhehleni Makhaula. In defence, Orlando Pirates could be without Mbekezeli Mbokazi who was withdrawn early against Usuthu, following a knock suffered 18 minutes into the weekend's encounter. The visitors have meanwhile been dealt a blow through the absence of striker Wonderboy Makhubu, whose return from a long-term injury has been short-lived. The Magesi marksman received a yellow card when he made a cameo against Marumo Gallants. He is suspended alongside defender John Mokone, who also picked up his fourth caution for the season in the same fixture. Nkosinathi Sibisi (Orlando Pirates): Entrusted with the armband through much of the latter half of the campaign, Sibisi has repaid the faith shown in him with consistent performances. The centre-back's positioning and willingness to put his body on the line has been key in keeping goals conceded to a minimum, contributing to the Buccaneers' impressive defensive record in the Premiership. Elvis Chipezeze (Magesi): The Zimbabwean shot-stopper has led Magesi admirably throughout the season, reaching double figures in terms of league clean sheets this season. His shot-stopping ability and commanding presence in the box will be key once more and could be the difference on the night. Wednesday night's fixture is only the third competitive encounter between these two sides, who first crossed paths earlier in the season. The Buccaneers were victorious in their only league encounter when they held on to claim a 1-0 win at the Old Peter Mokaba Stadium, following Relebohile Mofokeng's wonderstrike on the stroke of half-time. Magesi also boast an away win against Orlando Pirates, albeit in a cup fixture. It was at Orlando Stadium where the Limpopo outfit stunned the Soweto giants, beating them 3-2 in the opening round of this season's Carling Knockout. Kick-off is at 19:30 with the fixture televised live on SuperSport PSL. Tickets are available for sale online on OpenTickets while physical tickets can be purchased at various Shoprite, Checkers, and USave outlets nationwide. Orlando Pirates 2-1 Magesi FC Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1 Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X and Bluesky for the latest news.
The Citizen
17-05-2025
- Sport
- The Citizen
Galaxy steal a point against Pirates in Orlando
The draw took the Buccaneers to 56 points, 14 points behind Mamelodi Sundowns who have already won the league title with a game to spare. Orlando Pirates began life without coach Jose Riveiro with a 1-1 draw against TS Galaxy in a Betway Premiership clash at the Orlando Stadium on Saturday. Bandile Shandu scored the opening goal for the Buccaneers and Mpho Mvelase grabbed the equaliser for The Rockets. The draw took the Buccaneers to 56 points, 14 points behind Mamelodi Sundowns who have already won the league title with a game to spare. Galaxy, on the other hand, remained fifth in the standings after recording their 11th draw of the campaign. The first half was a scrappy affair with most of the action taking place in the middle of the pitch and minimal chances were created by both teams. While Galaxy had several shots on goal, Pirates' only good chance of the half was a free kick awarded to them in a good position after the hour mark. And Deon Hotto's deflected shot was saved by Ira Tape. Prior to that Khayelihle Mncube tried his luck from long range in the 11th minute for Galaxy, but his shot went wide of goal before Sipho Chaine made a comfortable save to deny Kamogelo Sebelebele two minutes later. The score was 0-0 at the interval in Soweto. Pirates coach Mandla Ncikazi made a surprise substitution at the start of the second half by taking out Chaine and replacing him with Melusi Buthelezi. His counterpart Adnan Beganovic also made one substitute, bringing in Mvelase for Khulumani Ndimane. Unlike in the first half, there was a sense of urgency in the second half from both teams as they went toe-to-toe looking for the opening goal. For 65 minutes Pirates had toiled, struggling to find a way past a dismal Galaxy side that has not won a game for over two months. But then came salvation through Bandile Shandu who finished off a good move started by Relebohile Mofokeng who found Mohau Nkota on the right and he in return laid a perfect pass to Shandu for an easy tap-in. Kabelo Dlamini almost doubled the Buccaneers lead in the 77th minute, but Tape was well-positioned to make a save. Substitute Keagan Dolly almost caught Buthelezi off-guard with a snap shot in the 81st minute, but his shot went wide of goal. Just when it looked like Pirates would take all the three points, Mvelase netted the equaliser in referee's optional time to take home a point from Orlando in the last game of the season.
The Herald
14-05-2025
- Sport
- The Herald
Pirates turn it on at Orlando to bid ‘padre' José Riveiro farewell in style
On an emotional night where they were bidding farewell to their ' padre ', Orlando Pirates produced a sensational performance over hapless Golden Arrows befitting the occasion. They stepped it up in style with a domineering 3-0 Betway Premiership victory in the last match for outgoing coach José Riveiro at Orlando Stadium on Tuesday night, thanks to goals from Tshegofatso Mabasa in the 16th minute, Bandile Shandu (61st) and Kabelo Dlamini (66th). Riveiro, who won five cup competitions in three years, has been granted an early release from his contract to join a new club and this was the last time he sat on the bench, with Mandla Ncikazi set to take over their remaining four matches. The players went out to do their warm-ups wearing T-shirts with messages of appreciation. The fans were not to be outdone as they displayed a huge banner in the west stand screaming: ' Muchas gracias padre José Riveiro por siempre una leyenda . '
The Citizen
03-05-2025
- Sport
- The Citizen
Pirates' Shandu looking forward to ‘good game' against Chiefs
'I think the derby is going to be a good game for us. We're looking forward to it,' said Shandu. Orlando Pirates defender Bandile Shandu is expecting a tough but good game against Kaizer Chiefs this weekend. The Soweto giants are set to meet in a sold-out Soweto derby at FNB Stadium this afternoon. ALSO READ: Chiefs v Pirates – Five things to look out for 'I think the derby is going to be a good game for us. We're looking forward to it,' said Shandu during a derby press conference at The Venue in Melrose Arch on Thursday. 'We're working hard in terms of getting better as individuals, as a team as well. And I think if we do what the coach wants, the results will take care of themselves. 'It's going to be tough. We respect our opponents, but we also know how good we are. If we do the things the coach wants according to the game plan, like I said, the result will take care of itself,' added Shandu. The Buccaneers go into this encounter against Chiefs on the back of back-to-back defeats against Pyramids FC in the CAF Champions League and Sekhukhune United in the Betway Premiership. Shandu blames the two defeats on 'errors'. 'The derby itself is an occasion where not much motivation is needed. The occasion motivates you, as Orlando Pirates, we want to bounce back from previous results. We've been working very hard to rectify our mistakes from the previous games. 'We need to work hard like we have been, working for one another, derbies are those games where you need to fight as a team, we showed that before and we just need to carry on with that,' concluded Shandu. ALSO READ: Chiefs and Pirates stars set to miss Soweto derby Pirates are currently second in the Betway Premiership standings with 46 points after 21 games. They trail log leaders Mamelodi Sundowns by 12 points, but have two games in hand over the Brazilians who have 58 points in 23 games. Chiefs on the other hand occupy ninth spot on the log with 30 points after 25 games.
The South African
01-05-2025
- Sport
- The South African
Orlando Pirates' title hopes dead and buried after rare Orlando Stadium loss
Orlando Pirates suffered defeat on their return to the Betway Premiership, going down 1-0 to Sekhukhune United at the Orlando Stadium on Wednesday. It was an unwanted bump on the road for the Buccaneers in their charge for league honours, while their opponents closed the gap between second and third in the standings to just two points. Back in Soweto after a testing trip to Cairo, Orlando Pirates were eager to put the disappointment of the past week behind them with a commanding performance at home. They met a determined Sekhukhune United side and had to contend with an early surge inside their half as the visitors got off to a promising start. Having escaped the early onslaught without a change to the scorecard, the home side took a while to find any real chances as they grew into the contest. Thalente Mbatha had a shot in the 18th minute, but only managed to drag his effort from outside the box wide of the target. Bandile Shandu then managed to find a way past the defence a few minutes later, getting on the end of a chip from Relebohile Mofokeng before poking it well off target with only goalkeeper Renaldo Leaner to beat. The Babina Noko shot-stopper was called upon to make a few saves around the half-hour mark, denying Kabelo Dlamini from a well-struck free-kick before keeping out a low shot from Mofokeng soon after. The forward momentum stayed with Orlando Pirates throughout the remainder of the first half, with Mbatha getting another chance to find the opener on the stroke of half-time without finding a way past Leaner. The second half began with a flurry of opportunities for the Soweto giants. Mohau Nkota was the first to line up a shot seconds after the restart as he blasted wide from outside the box. The follow-up attempts from Mbekezeli Mbokazi and Evidence Makgopa all yielded similar results as the Buccaneers intensified their pursuit for the opener. The missed chances came back to haunt almost immediately as Sekhukhune United capitalised on their first real opportunity to push ahead. They took the lead following their first set piece of the second period, with defender Tresor Tshibwabwa finding the crucial touch to make it 1-0. In their efforts to draw level once more, rhythm eluded the Buccaneers at crucial moments. At the same time, the visitors' defence held up well against desperate efforts from the home side who were denied clear-cut opportunities inside their attacking third. Orlando Pirates were dealt a further blow late in the contest when they were reduced to 10 men with five minutes of regulation time left to navigate. Defender Nkosinathi Sibisi was the man sent packing after picking up his second yellow card in the game. It further complicated their attempts at a comeback, while Sekhukhune United looked to make the most of their one-man advantage in the dying moments. They could have done so with seemingly goalbound efforts from Thabang Monare and Andre Boyeli, but Chaine stood firm as he pulled off a couple of excellent stops to keep Orlando Pirates in the game. Time had the final say in the end as the scoreline remained unchanged when the final whistle was blown. This condemned Orlando Pirates to a rare defeat at the Orlando Stadium and their second loss on the bounce ahead of the weekend's Soweto derby. The Buccaneers now trail log leaders Mamelodi Sundowns by 12 points, although they do have two matches in hand. Should Orlando Pirates win their remaining seven league matches, they will pick up a further 21 points and end the season on 67 points. Masandawana currently boast 58 points – and a far superior goal differential. Mamelodi Sundowns need 10 further points from their remaining five fixtures to make mathematically certain of being crowned champions of South Africa – yet again. Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1 Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X and Bluesky for the latest news.
