Latest news with #BandileShandu
IOL News
18-07-2025
- Sport
- IOL News
Orlando Pirates draw pre-season clash against Las Palmas in Spain
Orlando Pirates ended their pre-season friendly against Las Palmas in a goalless draw in Marbella, showcasing strategic substitutions and setting the stage for their upcoming match against Granada. Seen here: Bandile Shandu. Picture: Alche Greef/BackpagePix Perhaps the best of all the chances fell to Kabelo Dlaimini as he struck the crossbar from a free-kick just after the quarter-hour mark. Though neither side could find a goal in the encounter, there were chances for both teams to find a winner throughout the clash. Orlando Pirates played out to a goalless draw against Spanish outfit Las Palmas in their pre-season friendly match in Marbella on Thursday. restore all settings to the default values Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Seek to live, currently behind live Pirates' Strategic Substitutions and Upcoming Match Against Granada In the second half, Pirates threw on goalkeeper Sipho Chaine, Deano Van Rooyen, Patrick Maswanganyi and Sinoxolo Kwayiba in an attempt to change things up. In hot conditions, the result was fair even though Pirates would go on to hit the woodwork for a second time. Over the weekend, Pirates drew 1-1 with Pafos FC. Pirates will next be in action on Saturday against Granada, with the kick-off at 7pm which will be televised on SuperSport and streamed live on its YouTube channel. Earlier this week, The Premier Soccer League (PSL) on Tuesday confirmed the nominees for the 2024/2025 PSL Awards. The awards will take place on July 29, at 7pm, on the SuperSport PSL channel and on SABC Sport. In the headline event, the Footballer of the Season award will be contested by Sekhukhune United's Keletso Makgalwa, Relebohile Mofokeng of Orlando Pirates and Mamelodi Sundowns' Lucas Ribeiro Costa. The Betway Premiership Players Player of the Season will also come from one of the same three players. @Michael_Sherman IOL Sport
IOL News
03-07-2025
- Sport
- IOL News
Orlando Pirates must now cut off deadwood after bolstering squad
Orlando Pirates right-back Bandile Shandu is one of the players who could be moved on during their rebuild. Image: Backpagepix Orlando Pirates have made the biggest splash during the transfer window thus far, strengthening the team to challenge Mamelodi Sundowns for the Betway Premiership trophy next season. While the arrival of 10 new players has signalled their intentions, the squad is now bloated and they'll have to trim some of the fat. Independent Media football writer Mihlali Baleka looks at five players that the club must offload in the next few weeks to streamline their resources. Phillip Ndlondlo - Midfielder The diminutive midfielder is one of the most accurate passers of the ball in top-flight, something that makes him stand out. But while he can easily link up play, Ndlondlo has struggled in defensive situations and scoring crucial goals.. As such, those shortcomings in his game haven't made him that midfield all-rounder. Hence, he finds himself in and out of the team. And with the team having made a host of new signings in midfield, including Sipho Mbule, it's safe to argue that Ndlondlo will be one of the players who'll be sacrificed by the club. Zakhele Lepasa - Striker Lepasa has strong ties with Pirates, having cut his football teeth in the club's development structures before he was sent out on loan to TS Galaxy. He proved his prowess at Galaxy, including scoring the solitary goal that helped the team become the first lower-tier outfit to win the Nedbank Cup in 2019. However, upon returning to Pirates a few seasons ago, he struggled to replicate the same form and has been in and out of the team, including being loaned to SuperSport United 18 months ago. He had his worst campaign at Pirates last season, as he failed to play a single match for the team, owing to a long-term injury. So that's why his time to leave the club may have come. Bandile Shandu - Right-back Shandu is one of the highly-rated players in the top-flight, dating back to his days at Maritzburg United, now known as Durban City. He dominated the right-back position at Pirates for years, following the departure of Ntsikelelo Nyauza and Happy Jele. However, Shandu has struggled of late. Injuries have been his worst enemy, while the arrival of Thabiso Lebitso and Deano van Rooyen hasn't helped his cause either. Former Pirates coach Jose Riveiro moved him up the pitch at times, and that didn't help as he was found wanting at times. Karim Kimvuidi - Attacker There are few attackers that are as technically gifted as Kimvuidi in the top-flight, thanks to his ability to penetrate the spaces and his eye for goal. However, for all the skills, the Congolese-born player hasn't been able to live up to expectations at the club. His most notable contribution in the famous black and white of Pirates was scoring the winning penalty in the MTN8 final against Mameloddi Sundowns in 2023. Last season, he only made 15 appearances across all competitions for the club. Hence, his future is looking bleak.
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 . '
