Mihlali Baleka at Orlando Stadium
This is fast becoming the team’s heritage – a culture in which Orlando Pirates don’t necessarily have to be at their best to win a match.
On Heritage Day on Tuesday, the Buccaneers were yet again not at their best, but they still managed to pull off a 3-0 win over Polokwane City in the Premiership at Orlando Stadium.
All three goals came in the second half, courtesy of a solo strike by Monnapule Saleng and a brace from substitute Evidence Makgopa.
“It was two different halves. We were not able to get into the final third in the first half. In the second half, we started slow, and there were a lot of interruptions. But I think once we started scoring, we were flowing,” Pirates coach Jose Riveiro said during his post-match press conference.
The Sea Robbers were not at full tilt in the last two games at this venue as well, but they still managed to beat Chippa United and Jwaneng Galaxy respectively.
As such, their last victory saw the Sea Robbers sail into the CAF Champions League group stage for the first time since the 2018/2019 season.
Pirates will visit Richards Bay in the next league match on Saturday, and a win there will give them a huge morale-booster ahead of the MTN8 final against Stellenbosch FC at Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban on October 5.
And while Pirates have made Orlando a fortress – having won all five home games – the dream start ended for Polokwane, who came here following back-to-back league wins.
“I think we should have done better. This wasn’t the result that we were looking for. I don’t think this was a tough match,” coach Phuti Mohafe in his post-match press conference on Tuesday.
Saleng is the man for Pirates once again 😤⚽
— SuperSport Football ⚽️ (@SSFootball) September 24, 2024
He smashes it home from a tight angle 👇
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This stadium, by its birthright, is supposed to be about culture for Pirates – a venue where all visiting teams are supposed to quake in their boots whenever they enter the gates.
But Pirates are fast becoming their own worst enemies, making things harder for themselves by not dominating their own share of possession and turning into goals from the onset.
That culture of dominance started on a high on Tuesday. The team easily controlled the engine room, as Thalente Mbatha was the only change from Saturday’s XI.
Pirates struggled in the final third, with Relebohile Mofokeng, Tshegofatso Mabasa and Saleng failing to trouble Polokwane’s defence.
Rise and Shine’s ability to keep a low block and use the pace of Oswin Appollis going forward seemed to work for Mohafe’s team.
After all, that has been Mohafe’s own piece of culture, which saw them start the season on a high – winning the first two games against AmaZulu and Magesi FC respectively.
Mohafe’s culture and DNA has been engraved on Appollis and Thabang Matuludi – a duo he’ll be pleased about retaining at the club after the winter transfer window.
Riveiro has his own talisman as well. Saleng has carried the coach’s culture and vision this season, chipping in with three goals in a row and one assist so far this season.
Saleng is tying Nkwe in knots here 👀👇
— SuperSport Football ⚽️ (@SSFootball) September 24, 2024
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Saleng might have been Pirates’ go-to-man, but it seems it’ll take some time before he returns to the national team, as coach Hugo Broos omitted him from the provisional squad on Tuesday.
And while Saleng has made a culture of scoring late goals – just like he did against Chippa and Jwaneng – the Pirates No 14 slotted home early in the second half against Polokwane.
Saleng scored the opener 10 minutes into the second half, latching onto Mofokeng’s pass inside the box before rattling the roof of the net.
There’d be no time for another late Saleng special, though, as he was withdrawn for Karim Kimvuidi soon after his goal.
And while referee Michael Mosemeng had to occasionally halt play and deal with a series of injuries in the second half, there was a moment for another Patrick Maswanganyi culture display.
The Pirates magician has been somewhat missing in action since club legend Jomo Sono dismissed any plans of unretiring the No 10 jersey for him in domestic football.
Here, he brought the ‘Happy People’ culture alive, standing on top of the ball to send the stadium into a frenzy before The Ghost chanted his nickname ‘Tito, Tito, Tito’.
There was more delight for the Sea Robbers as Makgopa came off the bench to score a brace, capitalising on two mistakes by Polokwane’s goalkeeper Manuel Sapunga.
Sapunga initially parried a rebound into the path of Makgopa, before he failed to trap the ball, which the lanky striker latched onto and poked into the back of the net.