Another Tuesday night outing awaits Orlando Pirates as they travel to Polokwane for a Betway Premiership clash against SuperSport United at the new Peter Mokaba Stadium.
Back in midweek action for the fourth consecutive week, the Buccaneers are looking to continue their quest for a strong finish to the season. They take on another tricky challenge in the form of a Matsatsansa side desperate to lift themselves from the threat of relegation.
Form Guide
Pirates take the trip to Limpopo after a disappointing result at home to TS Galaxy on Saturday. A late strike from Mpho Mvelase cancelled out Bandile Shandu’s second-half goal, restricting the hosts to their first stalemate on home soil this season.
They are now faced with back-to-back away fixtures to navigate before finishing their season in familiar territory and will take some confidence from their recent form on the road, having collected wins in each of their last three games away from Soweto. It’s a streak that kicked off in Polokwane back in April when they saw off Polokwane City a stone’s throw away from Tuesday’s venue.
The Limpopo capital has been a happy hunting ground for the Soweto Giants throughout the ongoing campaign. They picked up all nine points on offer when travelling there this season, and could make it a full house against the Tshwane outfit.
They are however guaranteed to meet some resistance against the three-time champions, who are in a desperate scramble to avoid a prolonged fight for survival. United remain in 14th place in the league standings after a 2-1 defeat away to Stellenbosch last Saturday .
They will relish a return to home soil, where they have had a slight upturn in form of late with no defeats in each of their last three outings. The last of these was in their most recent fixture at Peter Mokaba, where they defeated Chippa United to claim their first three-pointer in nearly three months.
A win on Tuesday pulls them clear of 15th place Cape Town City and into potential safety, while defeat will be a significant blow in their bid to avoid participation in the relegation playoffs.
Team News
Bucs forward Relebohile Mofokeng will be among the significant absentees from the match day squad, having been ruled out of the fixture. He picked up a yellow card in the match against Galaxy – his fourth of the season – triggering a one-match ban.
There are other doubtful starters in the visitors’ camp ahead of the match, with goalkeeper Sipho Chaine and midfielder Thalente Mbatha among those who have picked up knocks in the past few days.
For the hosts, youth internationals Neo Rapoo and Siviwe Magidigidi were part of the United quartet in the South African side that brought home the Under-20 Africa Cup crown, and are unavailable for the fixture. Also missing is midfielder Grant Margeman, who continues to recover from an injury picked up earlier in the season.
Key Players
Mohau Nkota (Orlando Pirates): In his debut season in senior football, the 20-year-old has taken no time in making an impact, hitting double figures in goal contributions across competition with an assist over the weekend. Nkota’s blistering pace and powerful left-foot has been key in turning games in an instant, and he will be aiming to do more of the same on Tuesday night.
Siphesihle Ndlovu (SuperSport United): The former Pirates midfielder has been one of the standout players in a difficult season for the Tshwane outfit. The 29-year-old has produced many workmanlike performances in the middle of the park, occasionally utilised higher up on the pitch where he has chipped in with the odd goal or assist.
Head-to-Head
There will be some familiarity between the two sets of players as they cross paths for the fourth and final time this season. They met twice in cup football with Pirates winning 3-1 in extra time in the quarter-final stage of the MTN8 before edging the Tshwane outfit in penalties after a 2-2 draw at a similar stage in the Nedbank Cup.
The Buccaneers were also triumphant at home in the Premiership when Evidence Makgopa and Deon Hotto both found the net en route to a 2-0 victory. It was the latest victory in a successful spell in the fixture for the Soweto Giants who have now won five of their last 10 games against their Gauteng rivals, losing just twice.
League wins away from home still remain elusive however, with each of Pirates’ victories over United in the past decade achieved on home soil. United have emerged triumphant six times in the 10 games they have hosted during this period, while the other four matches have finished level.
TV Coverage and Ticket Info
The fixture kicks off at 19:30 and will be televised live on SuperSport PSL. Live updates will also be provided across all Orlando Pirates social media channels.
