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JOHANNESBURG – An Orlando Pirates team led by Germany’s Josef Zinnbauer ended a six-year trophy drought when they beat Bloemfontein Celtic 2-1 on Saturday in the MTN 8 final.
The famous Soweto club and former African champions last lifted a trophy in 2014 when they won the Nedbank Cup.
Siphelele Luthuli gave Celtic an early lead in an empty Moses Mabhida stadium in Durban due to the coronavirus and Namibian Deon Hotto tied before half-time.
Celtic were reduced to 10 men in the 58th minute when Thato Lingwati received a red card after conceding a penalty, which Thembinkosi Lorch converted to win the final.
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Zinnbauer succeeded where several local and foreign coaches have failed in recent seasons and praised his team’s resilience after falling behind in three minutes.
“We fought bravely and created a lot of opportunities,” he said as his players soaked him in champagne while speaking to the media.
“My team got a bit defensive after taking the lead and we also had a bit of luck towards the end. However, the Pirates have waited a long time for this moment and deserved the victory.”
MTN 8 involved the league’s eight highest ranked clubs from the previous season and offered just one prize: R8 million to the winners.
Pirates and Celtic will represent South Africa in the 2020-2021 CAF Confederation Cup, which is modeled after the UEFA Europa League.
