[ad_1]
Cape Town has never lost a home game to the Orlando Pirates since their formation in 2016 and the Citizens kept that record intact in the spirited 2-2 DStv Premiership draw at Danie Craven Stadium in Stellenbosch on Saturday afternoon.
A spectacular long-range shot from Abbubaker Mobara, the former Bucs player, sought to give City all three points to make it 2-1, with three goals in the 32nd minute in a game that was not short. scoring opportunities at both ends in both halves.
But Vincent Pule’s draw in the 65th minute, their second goal of the game, gave the Pirates a vital point and extended their unbeaten streak in all competitions to six games, keeping them close to the leaders Mamelodi Sundowns in the league.
The Pirates missed for the third game in a row to avoid conceding first, as they allowed Mduduzi Mdantsane enough space at the edge of the box to beat Richard Ofori with a fantastic curling iron in the seventh minute.
Josef Zinnbauer’s team did well to disallow Mdantsane’s goal 11 minutes later, when Zakhele Lepasa and Deon Hotto teamed up to create the Pule tap-in after City goalkeeper Peter Leeuwenburgh couldn’t hold off Hotto’s powerful shot .
Mobara’s scorching blow in the 32nd minute came out of nowhere as he caught Ofori with a long-range shot. But the Ghana glove could have had a chance to stop the Mobara pylon if it had been well positioned.
Pirates have always struggled to beat City in Mother City and that scenario seemed to continue on Saturday. Bucs should thank Lepasa for her great contribution in creating the Pule corset.
The young Bucs forward was also unlucky on more than one occasion, his shots saved on the line by Leeuwenburgh when City’s defense was badly broken.
The game against City came seven days before Bucs’ attempt to end his six-year trophy drought in the MTN8 final against Bloemfontein Celtic at Durban’s Moses Mabhida Stadium.
It was in the same spot in Durban that the Bucs last won a silver piece, in a final 3-1 Nedbank Cup victory against the now-defunct Bidvest Wits, a team that has now provided the Bucs with key players who They include their captain Hlatshwayo, forward Deon Hotto and midfielder Thabang Monare, who started Saturday’s game.
At Celtic, the Bucs will face a hungry team that also wants to end a long drought of its own. Celtic won the last of only three honors in their 50-year history in 2012 when they won the Telkom Knockout.
[ad_2]
