Three points were up for grabs in Soweto as the two sides slugged it out once more following the weekend’s Nedbank Cup encounter at Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium where the Buccaneers prevailed to book their place in the final.

At home for the first time since hosting AmaZulu in mid-April, the home side struggled to find cohesion early on with the opening 20 minutes flying by without any real opportunities at both ends. Bucs defender Thabiso Monyane was however presented with a chance in the 17th minute when he was released in acres of space by Thalente Mbatha but badly miscued his shot at goal.

It took them until just before the half-hour mark to truly trouble the defence as Patrick Maswanganyi surged through the middle before drawing a deflection inside the box with his effort at goal.

The breakthrough wasn’t too far off, and it came in the 36th minute through some delightful interplay kicked off just inside Chippa territory when Maswanganyi released Monyane on the flank and the right-back delivered a searching cross which was turned into the net by Mabasa.

Pirates remained dominant and had an opportunity to double their lead four minutes before the break when Baraka Majogoro used his hand to defend Innocent Maela’s cross into the box, prompting the referee to point to the penalty spot.

The in-form Mabasa stepped up to convert and made no mistake as he sent the ball past a diving Stanley Nwabali into the bottom corner.

An error-strewn start to the second period nearly left the visitors with an even steeper hill to climb as midfielder Thabo Makhele’s misdirected back pass came close to finding his own net before a desperate scramble from Nwabali who rushed across to make a clearance

Chippa did show glimpses of intent as they looked to claw their way back and could have halved the deficit on the hour mark when Ronaldo Maarman fired at goal, only to be denied a deflection from Tapelo Xoki who had stuck his foot out inside the box.

The two sides traded blows as the clock wound down, with Kabelo Dlamini drawing a save from Nwabali with a long-range effort while Sipho Chaine produced a similar outcome at the other end in keeping out Aviwe Mqokozo’s header.

The Bucs shot-stopper was called upon once more on the 90-minute mark to deny Brooklyn Poggenpoel after the midfielder had unleashed a powerful shot from a fair distance out. This was followed by an injury-time effort from Pirates striker Evidence Makgopa who pushed into space before forcing Nwabali into a save from close range.

The two first-half goals were however all that was needed to settle the contest as the Soweto Giants clinched another vital win to extend a remarkable winning run.

Pirates XI: Chaine, Sesane (Ndah 83’), Xoki, Monyane, Maela, Mbatha, Makhaula (Timm 46’), Dlamini (Kapinga 72’), Mofokeng (Otladisa 89’), Maswanganyi, Mabasa (Makgopa 83’).

Cape Town Stadium hosts this midweek encounter featuring two teams in the top half of the table with just a handful of games left until the end of the season.

Form Guide

It comes three days after the Buccaneers’ last away game where they netted four unanswered goals against Royal AM to strengthen their hold on third place in the Premiership standings.

The victory was their third league win in a row and their fourth match unbeaten, taking their points tally to 10 in their last five games, where they have only suffered a single defeat.

A standout feature in Pirates’ recent run has been their efficiency in front of goal, which has yielded 14 goals during this period while the defence has kept things quiet at the other end with just five netted by the opposition.

Now looking for three more points to climb to second place, the Soweto Giants meet a City outfit desperate to arrest their slide down the standings, as they are yet to celebrate victory in 2024.

Owing to their excellent start to the season, the Cape outfit remains in the top half of the table in sixth place despite not registering a win since December 2023. They have claimed just four out of a possible 15 points in their five most recent outings, drawing four and losing once.

City now face the Buccaneers at the back of consecutive stalemates in games against Polokwane City and Lamontville Golden Arrows and will be determined to turn their fortunes around with a winning performance on Wednesday.

Team News

Sunday’s victory came at some cost for the Buccaneers, who were dealt a blow when right-back Thabiso Lebitso had to be withdrawn inside the opening 20 minutes. His injury rules him out of Wednesday’s fixture, and could mean another opportunity for Thabiso Monyane who put on a tireless shift after coming on as his replacement.

Other notable absentees from the Bucs’ travelling party are midfield duo Patrick Maswanganyi and Makhehleni Makhaula, suspended for their clash after their bookings at Harry Gwala.

There are however some significant boosts for coach Jose Riveiro with Sipho Chaine, Deon Hotto, and Miguel Timm all back from suspension after missing the trip to the Midlands.

Meanwhile, City will welcome back defender Keanu Cupido who has completed a two-match suspension after picking up a red card against AmaZulu.

Key Players

Kabelo Dlamini (Orlando Pirates): After featuring sporadically for much of the first half of the season, Dlamini is back to his best and has been involved in five goals in his last five starts. The midfielder’s passing range from both open play and set pieces makes him a potent creative outlet while also a goal threat through his unerring left boot.

Khanyisa Mayo (Cape Town City): The City forward is enjoying yet another productive season in front of goal, continuing to cement his status as one of the best strikers in the country. With 11 goals scored in the league this season, Mayo is an ever-present threat in front of goal and will command some attention from the Bucs defence.

Head-to-Head

Pirates edged ahead in what has been a tight rivalry when they won 2-0 at home in the reverse fixture, with Zakhele Lepasa and Maswanganyi providing the goals.

The victory was their fourth in 15 league matches against City, who have won three times with eight games finishing in a stalemate.

However, the search for a triumph away to the Citizens continues for the Buccaneers after managing four draws and three defeats in seven visits to the Mother City.

How to Watch Orlando Pirates vs Cape Town City

The match is scheduled to kick off at 15:00 and will be broadcast live on SuperSport PSL. You can stay in touch with the action as it happens by following live updates posted across Orlando Pirates’ social media platforms, including the Club’s official mobile app.