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The two teams meet at Orlando Stadium in this first leg of a campaign as both seek to end a long stint without winning the PSL crown.
The Orlando Pirates resume their bid to lift the Premier Soccer League (PSL) title for the first time since 2012 when they host SuperSport United on Saturday.
Interestingly, the Pirates face Matsatsantsa, who last claimed the league crown a decade ago, as the two teams seek to reassert their dominance in South African soccer.
In high spirits after taking out the old Kaizer Chiefs foes from the MTN8 convincingly, Pirates coach Josef Zinnbauer might be having the right tonic he needs at his camp.
But the SuperSports are not easy to convince despite the hot and cold this season.
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A win for the Pirates could see them spend Saturday night at the top of the table if Swallows FC loses to TS Galaxy and the Golden Arrows drop points to Chiefs.
Victory for SuperSport would also have them claim first place if Swallows doesn’t win.
| Game | Orlando Pirates vs SuperSport United |
| Date | Saturday, November 21 |
| Time | 18:00 AM hour |
TV channel, live score and how to watch
The game will be broadcast live on SuperSport TV and SABC.
| Online streaming | Television channel |
|---|---|
| DStv.com/DStv Now app | SuperSport PSL Channel 202 |
Squads and team news
Pirates coach Zinnbauer will have to plan his starting lineup without winger Thembinkosi Lorch, who underwent knee surgery last week and will be out for five weeks.
This follows an injury sustained in the team’s last league game against Bloemfontein Celtic.
Zinnbauer could also hand new signing Jean-Marc Makusu his debut after the Democratic Republic of Congo striker joined the club last week on loan from AS Vita.
Forward Frank Mhango is also expected to return from injury and an anticipated surprising partnership with Makusu could make them the most feared attacking combination in PSL.
The Pirates coach’s attacking options have also been boosted by the return of Tshegofatso Mabasa, who has yet to play a game this season.
Defender Bongani Sam has also returned from injury, although it is not yet clear whether Thabiso Monyane and midfielder Nkanyiso Zungu have recovered.
Footage from SuperSport preparing for Friday’s Pirates game showed forward Bradley Grobler training with the rest of the team, a clue that he could be in line to play Saturday.
The 32-year-old had withdrawn from Bafana Bafana camp last week due to injury.
Grobler has picked up where he left off last season when he scored 14 league goals and this season he has two strikes in three games, making him a key player that coach Kaitano Tembo cannot afford to lose to the Pirates.
Grant Kekana and Luke Fleurs, as well as midfielder Sipho Mbule, who missed the team’s last game against Bloemfontein Celtic, were also seen participating in full training.
Veteran center-back Clayton Daniels will not participate in the game as he is still recovering from a car accident.
Match preview
The Pirates are still undefeated this season in six games in all competitions and the last proven defeat in the previous period in August, giving them nine straight games without losing.
At the league front, the Pirates have recorded one win and two draws and come into this game on top after knocking the Chiefs out of MTN8 in impressive fashion.
The last meeting between the Buccaneers and SuperSport was in favor of the former who beat Matsatsantsa 2-1 in the PSL biobubble in August.
But United had beaten Pirates 3-0 in the reverse game at Mbombela in August 2019.
Over the past five years, Supersport has enjoyed superiority over the Soweto giants in league battles, winning four times, losing two, while the other four games ended in draws.
Tembo and his men enter Saturday’s showdown smart after being knocked out of the MTN8 two-legged semi-finals by Bloemfontein Celtic after failing to win both at home and away.
Their season in which they have been inconsistent stands out, winning two league games and losing one.
