Pirates

Orlando Pirates entered the halftime break leading Maritzburg United 2-0 in their DStv Premiershi...

Mabasa could have added a fifth goal for the hosts in the last nine minutes after he went though in the box but his snap shot was parried away by Engelhardt from point-blank range. The sides settled into a passing rhythm early in the second stanza but Pirates were too quick for United, as Hotto made it 3-0 for Pirates on the hour-mark with a strike past Engelhardt in the box after he beat the offside trap from Lorch's cross. However, Kabelo Dlamini restored a three-goal lead for the Soweto giants 21 minutes before time with a diagonal strike beyond the reach of Engelhardt, who was out of his area, into a gaping net after he also broke the line from Lorch's pass. Pirates looked to boost their goal difference further in the dying minutes but the four goals were enough to take them up to sixth on the log, six points behind second-placed Cape Town City with two games in hand. Pirates skipper Happy Jele was unfortunate not to double their lead on the half-hour mark with a free header in the box that crashed against the bottom post after a cross by Hotto from a corner. As the game opened up, Friday Samu pulled a goal back for Ernst Middendorp's charges just after that with a close-range finish after a square pass by Brandon Theron. Pirates introduced fresh legs a couple of minutes later with a double change as Tshegofatso Mabasa replaced Peprah and Fortune Makaringe came on for Dlamini. Maritzburg played a high line in the opening exchanges and should have been punished in the eighth minute after Lorch beat the offside trap to go clear on goal but he fired his shot straight at goalkeeper Marcel Engelhardt, before the former PSL Footballer of the Year rattled the frame of the goal minutes later from the edge of the box. However, the Bafana Bafana forward eventually broke the deadlock in the 21st minute as he perfectly picked out the far corner a neat finish after a ball over the top by Hotto. The Team of Choice continued to offer the Buccaneers space behind their defence as they threatened to come back into the game, but they went 2-0 down just before the halftime break when Lorch's pass found Peprah, who fired into the bottom corner from the edge of the box. Pirates were unchanged after their CAF Confederation Cup final defeat on penalties against RSB Berkane, as Thembinkosi Lorch continued in the attack alongside Kwame Peprah and Deon Hotto. Thembinkosi Lorch played a starring role as Orlando Pirates thrashed Maritzburg United 4-1 to keep their CAF Champions League hopes alive.

A fine season with Cape Town City must surely have made Eric Tinkler a front-runner for the Kaizer Chiefs job?

He’s shown he has the stature to handle the egos and challenges and with six years passed since Tinkler left Bucs, the 51-year-old has added a whole lot of experience. The problem for Chiefs is, neither Cape Town City's management nor their supporters will want Tinkler to leave. The Citizens are at the very least guaranteed third-place and will play in Africa next season.

Orlando Pirates picked up all three points from their DStv Premiership game against a Maritzburg United outfit that seemed to have started their holiday ...

And that nearly paid off as hit the upright after finding a pocket of space outside the box. If they indeed play continental football, Pirates will have players such as Lorch to thank. Samu pulled one back for the visitors, but Lorch was not done as he continued to crack the whip on Maritzburg with his third assist of the night as he sent free Kabelo Dlamini who picked his spot and slotted home.

Orlando Pirates co-coach Mandla Ncikazi felt that his charges should have scored more goals against Maritzburg United on Tuesday night.

"Today we scored and in other matches we don't. I thought that was the only difference." Ncikazi was asked what was the difference between the final and the Maritzburg game, and he said: "Nothing was different in how we approached the game, the only difference was that today we took the chances that we created, differently from other matches. "But having said that we won the match, we got the three points, that's important for me today."

Orlando Pirates recorded their first DStv Premiership win in four matches as they comfortably beat Maritzburg United 4-1 at the Orlando Stadium on Tuesday ...

Orlando Pirates beat Maritzburg United thanks to a sterling performance by Thembinkosi Lorch at the Orlando Stadium.

The visitors were keen to get an equaliser, but their efforts weren’t fruitful. The Team of Choice finished the 2021/22 campaign in 12th place on the log with 31 points. For Maritzburg, it’s a season the club will like to forget as they missed out on the MTN8 for the second campaign in a row.

Orlando Pirates continue with their push to finish the season in the Premier Soccer League top-two when they clash against Maritzburg United at Orlando Stadium ...

But he remains favourite to start on the left side of midfield and he hopes to score hs first goal since his brace in the 3-2 win over SuperSport United in March. Lorch was hero-turned-villain in the last game against RS Berkane after his equaliser sent Pirates to a penalty shootout where he missed his spot-kick. If he starts on Tuesday, it will be his fourth time to be in the line-up in the league and a seventh appearance. He was yellow-carded when Pirates dew 0-0 with Maritzburg in the reverse fixture last October and now he would want to be highly disciplined as the Buccaneers cannot afford to lose him in the upcoming matches. The defender was reverted back to the right-back position in the last match against RS Berkane after a few games playing in midfield. Orlando Pirates continue with their push to finish the season in the Premier Soccer League top-two when they clash against Maritzburg United at Orlando Stadium on Tuesday.

Orlando Pirates will begin their chase to finish second on the DStv Premiership log when they host Maritzburg United at the Orlando Stadium on Tuesday 24 ...

The Soweto has won eight of their 15 home league matches against their Pietermaritzburg counterparts, suffering two defeats in the process. The Buccaneers have claimed 24 points from 14 home matches this season, with their last result as hosts a 0-0 draw with Chippa United in late April. Pirates have gone three league matches without a win – and suffered their fifth defeat of the league season – when they were beaten 1-0 at TS Galaxy on May 2.

Orlando Pirates shift their attention to bouncing back in the DStv Premiership when they host Maritzburg United on Tuesday evening at Orlando Stadium.

The sides could not be separated in the reverse fixture after playing to a goalless draw, as Pirates remained unbeaten against Maritzburg since 2016. The Buccaneers' last encounter in the league was a 1-0 defeat to TS Galaxy almost a month ago and they have since dropped down to seventh on the log, nine points behind second-placed Cape Town City. Pirates are still smarting from their CAF Confederation Cup final defeat against RSB Berkane on penalties last Friday, but they have a chance getting back to the continent as they play the first of their three games in hand. The Team of Choice, meanwhile, will be playing their final game of the season without pressure after sealing their top-flight status with a 1-0 win over Baroka, who were relegated as a result over the weekend. However, the Soweto giants' league form has been patchy over the last couple months, as they have not scored from their last three outings. Orlando Pirates shift their attention to bouncing back in the DStv Premiership when they host Maritzburg United on Tuesday evening at Orlando Stadium.