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The Orlando Pirates ended their six-year trophyless stint in the Premier Soccer League when they rallied to defeat a 10-man Bloemfontein Celtic 2-1 to win the MTN8 at Moses Mabhida Stadium on Saturday night.
The Buccaneers had lost four times in cup finals and finished as runners-up in the league championship twice during those sterile six years, but there was no denying that the Soweto giants were walking away with R8m and spending their time in the sun, though in a humid and empty iconic place in Durban.
In that starvation trophy, the Pirates outrun their Soweto rivals the Kaizer Chiefs, who are on an unprecedented five-year streak without winning a trophy on the PSL. Amakhosi will equal the Bucs’ dismal record if they fail to win the DStv Premiership, the Nedbank Cup or the Caf Champions League this season.
The Pirates’ victory could well be a clear sign that they have found their mojo and could be great rivals for reigning PSL champions Mamelodi Sundowns in the Premiership in the 2020-21 campaign.
Josef Zinnabuer’s team is one of four teams yet to be beaten in the league this season, but Bucs’ brilliant start has been affected by four draws from six games and they remain four points behind the Brazilians who top the table.
In a match that could have gone either way, the Pirates won through Deon Hotto (minute 32) and a penalty from Thembinkosi Lorch (minute 53), to claim their tenth trophy in the top eight in 15 finals of which It was the 44th edition of the competition.
Zinnbauer has seen his players concede first and forced to rework their strategy during the last three league games against SuperSport United (2-1), Baroka (1-1) and Cape Town (2-2), and the 50 years -The old German, who turned one year at the club on Thursday, could not stop that dangerous track again in the final on Saturday.
The poor mark allowed Phunya Sele Sele to take the lead in the fourth minute after Siphelele Luthuli was left with acres of space inside the box to choose her spot when the Bucs defense failed to clear Menzi Masuku’s corner kick.
But as they did in the last three league games, the Bucs’ great quality showed, especially in attacking areas.
After one goal, the Pirates began to dominate possession and even midfielder Thabang Monare’s injury midway through the first leg was a blessing when Zinnbauer, who won his first coaching trophy, introduced Lorch to give the Pirates more options. Of attack. The Bafana player Bafana went on to clinch the priceless winner for the Buccaneers.
The winning goal was further gifted by Celtic, who couldn’t cope with Bucs goalkeeper Richard Ofori’s long-distance punt and the ball went into the area where Celtic’s Ronald Pfumbidzai did a dirty trick on Lorch and referee Luxolo Badi signaled the point and gave the Zimbabwean defender his goal. marching orders.
With a one-man lead, the Pirates dominated more even though they were guilty of missing a number of scoring opportunities. They were lost from concluding the game as a competition when the show opened further with John Maduka’s team trying to find a tie.
Maduka, who won this trophy as a Celtic player in 2005, will be gutted for losing a second final within four months of his appointment as Celtic’s head coach. His team lost the Nedbank Cup final to Mamelodi Sundowns in September. The Free State club entered this game seeking its first honors since 2012 to join three other trophies it has won in 50 years.
In the end, however, the Pirates deserved their victory and with better defensive discipline, Zinnbauer’s team could go on to claim more famous victories this season.
The Bucs’ strength lies in midfield, where they have Lorch, Fortune Makaringe, Vincent Pule and Hotto supporting young forward Zakhele Lepasa.
Still, Zinnbauer will worry about the team’s defensive weaknesses and its inability to avoid gifting its opponents the advantages, which is precisely why the Bucs have played so many draws in the league this season.
But based on Saturday’s performance, the Pirates and their fans couldn’t stop being “Happy People” again.
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