In the wake of a bruising trip to Lubumbashi, the story of Orlando Pirates vs Polokwane City at Orlando Stadium became one of response and resolve, a tight 1-0 win that steadied the Buccaneers before a continental reckoning against Saint-Eloi Lupopo. A sixth minute strike from Tshepang Moremi delivered the points, yet the lingering theme was unfinished business in front of goal and an even bigger task looming on Saturday afternoon.
A needed win after a difficult week
Pirates arrived to this league fixture carrying the weight of a 3-0 first leg defeat to Lupopo in the CAF Champions League second round. Confidence had been dented, and assistant coach Mandla Ncikazi framed the night as much about mentality as method, stressing the importance of points over games in hand as the Betway Premiership schedule picks up pace.
Before kick off, Pirates were third with 15 points from seven matches, six points behind leaders Mamelodi Sundowns. The 1-0 result lifted the Buccaneers to third on 18 points from eight games, within three of Sundowns, and with two games in hand. The table matters, but so does the tone, and this was about restoring a sense of control at Orlando Stadium.
How the game was won
With four changes from the side beaten in the DRC, Pirates began on the front foot and were rewarded almost immediately. In the sixth minute, Oswin Appollis drove a low ball across goal that Polokwane City goalkeeper Brian Bwire could only parry into the path of Moremi, who finished calmly from close range. It was a goal born from early tempo and sharp positioning.
Rise and Shine responded with a low block, inviting Pirates onto them and looking to spring forward on counters. On one such break they earned a free kick in the 32nd minute, and Sibusiso Tshabalala’s header drifted narrowly wide with Sipho Chaine beaten. Two minutes later Patrick Maswanganyi flashed a long range effort just off target, a reminder of Pirates’ territorial control and Polokwane’s lingering threat.
The second half brought a bolder Polokwane City, who pressed higher and forced the home side to play under pressure. Still, Pirates carved the better openings, none clearer than Evidence Makgopa striking the upright from close range on 59 minutes. Bwire then produced strong saves to deny Moremi in the 63rd and Maswanganyi seven minutes later, keeping the contest alive until the final whistle.
Ouaddou wants ruthlessness in the final third
Coach Abdeslam Ouaddou welcomed the win and the character shown, but his immediate message focused on efficiency. The performance contained control and invention, yet opportunities went begging, and that will not do in a match that requires multiple goals without reply.
“Yes, three important points. It was not easy, I think the guys did well. Polokwane were strong especially in the second half. They came to press us in the second half, with a lot of ambition maybe to equalise, but I have to congratulate the boys because they had strength, character, and personality.
But we wanted to score more goals, we had the chances to definitely kill the game, but it’s an area we have to improve especially this Saturday we need to score goals.”
The subtext was clear, Pirates must be more clinical. The chances created against City were encouraging, and with the second leg against Lupopo ahead, finishing becomes the headline act.
Ncikazi’s warning about Polokwane City’s unique test
On the eve of the match, Mandla Ncikazi underscored how tricky Rise and Shine can be. He referenced a unique setup and the need to adjust quickly after continental competition, an issue that often tests rhythm and concentration for clubs juggling multiple fronts.
“Polokwane City are a unique team. The coach has a very unique style of how he sets up his team. And for us, it’s to nullify the strengths of the opponent and improve our performance and adapt quickly for a new situation and a new competition. And win the match. That’s all that matters right now.”
The match largely followed that script. Pirates neutralised long stretches, but City’s intermittent surges and set piece moments demanded care. It was a reminder that in league play, margins are thin and that a single secure finish, like Moremi’s, can be enough on the night.
Tactical selections and a refreshed lineup
With matches arriving quickly, Ouaddou’s rotation was decisive. There were four changes from the team that faced Saint-Eloi Lupopo, including a return for Lebone Seema in the place of captain Nkosinathi Sibisi, while Deon Hotto started on the bench and Nkosikhona Ndaba took the left back role. Thabiso Lebitso was rested and Oswin Appollis started, and in midfield, fan favourite Patrick Maswanganyi came in for Sipho Mbule.
The selections produced early energy and width, with Appollis’ delivery central to the opening goal. Maswanganyi’s drive from midfield also stood out, a sign of how Pirates can mix control and penetration when the balance is right. These choices will inform Saturday, where the need to attack will be married with the obligation to protect any potential lead with defensive discipline.
The mountain ahead against Saint-Eloi Lupopo
History frames the size of the task. Pirates trail 3-0 after the first leg of the CAF Champions League second round, and no South African club has ever overturned a first leg deficit of three or more goals in African competition. Saturday’s second leg kicks off at 3pm at the Orlando Stadium, and the aggregate winner moves into the group phase next month.
The arithmetic is unforgiving. Pirates must win 3-0 to take the tie to a post match penalty shootout, since there is no extra time in CAF club competition ties. A margin of four or more goals would send them through on aggregate, anything less than three unanswered goals ends the run.
There are cautionary tales that underline the rarity of such a turnaround. Kaizer Chiefs fell 4-0 away to Espérance in 2005 and won only 2-1 at home, and in 2014 they lost 3-0 away to AS Vita Club and fell short despite a 2-0 home win. Cape Town City trailed 3-0 after the home leg against Petro Atlético in 2022-23 and then lost 1-0 away. SuperSport United lost 4-1 to Dolphins in 2005 and drew 2-2 at home, Bidvest Wits sent a second string to Azam in 2016 and went down 3-0, then lost 4-3 in the return, and Jomo Cosmos lost 3-0 at Mansoura in 1997 and drew 2-2 at home.
There is, however, precedent for South African clubs overturning a two goal deficit. SuperSport United famously rescued a tie against Lupopo in 2005, winning the return 2-0 and advancing on penalties, with Black Leopards, Santos and Mamelodi Sundowns also achieving similar two goal recoveries in other years. That thin thread of possibility is what Pirates will look to pull on, with belief and precision as their guide.
Ouaddou’s plea for the 12th man
The coach did not hide from the size of the assignment, and turned to supporters with an emotional appeal. He called Saturday an important game in the history of the club, the kind of afternoon where energy from the stands can turn pressure into momentum.
“We need them. In this kind of game on Saturday, we need the 12th man behind us. I hope the stadium will be packed because they have to push us.
It will be an important game in the history of the club. We know that we need to score four goals but it will not be easy, but we will prepare for that.”
Pirates have an extra incentive to lock in at the back. Lupopo have conceded three in each of their last two visits to South Africa, a 3-2 loss to Marumo Gallants and a 3-1 defeat to Sekhukhune United in 2023, but the Congolese side scored on both occasions. That record speaks to the dual task on Saturday, score enough and keep a clean sheet against an opponent that finds a way to net even in defeat.
Mbekezeli Mbokazi’s rise offers a symbol of resilience
Beyond the immediate urgency, there was a bright spark for the club this week. Twenty year old defender Mbekezeli Mbokazi earned a nomination for the 2025 CAF Young Player of the Year. His emergence as an important figure in the heart of the Pirates defence has been one of the season’s steadying stories.
Ouaddou’s reaction to the recognition carried a mentor’s warmth. He spoke of pride and offered a measured warning about the rhythm of the game, saying it can lift a player quickly but can humble just as fast. That message of humility and work rings true for a squad that now seeks a perfect, mistake free afternoon in a tournament that demands clarity under pressure.
“I think it’s a fantastic gift for him. It’s a fantastic gift not only for him, but the club as well, we don’t have to forget he is representing Orlando Pirates and for me as an ex-central defender, of course I’m proud of him.
The advice I can give him is to keep believing your nice potential and to be very humble and to keep working because football goes quickly on the two sides. You can go very high but you can go down quickly as well. So, respect football and football will respect you and it’s the advice I give to my players.”
What must change against Lupopo
The blueprint is straightforward, execution will decide everything. Pirates will need a fast start, sustained pressure, and total concentration when chances present themselves. Saturday is the kind of contest where the first big moment can tilt belief across 90 minutes.
- Convert early pressure into goals,
- manage transitions with balance so that territorial dominance does not feed counter attacks,
- protect set pieces and remain calm if the breakthrough takes time.
Within that, Pirates must keep a cool head in the box. Against Polokwane City, the frame of the goal and Bwire’s interventions kept the scoreline tight. Against Lupopo, the same volume of chances has to become a cascade of goals, since the margin for error is virtually non existent and every minute counts for the aggregate.
The emotions behind the numbers
Wednesday night carried more than three points. It was the collective exhale after Lubumbashi, the roar that greets a sixth minute goal, and the sigh when Makgopa’s effort caught the upright. For Moremi, it was a striker’s delight, being alive to a rebound and trusting the instinct that separates a half chance from a decisive strike.
For the goalkeeper on the other end, Bwire brought a performance that hinted at why comebacks require persistence, he met the moments and stretched belief for the visitors. That is the human tension that will follow Pirates into Saturday, one team running on adrenaline and urgency, another intent on managing time and stifling rhythm with spoiling tactics and counter punches.
League implications and the road ahead
The domestic picture still looks promising for the Buccaneers. They sit three points off the log leaders Mamelodi Sundowns with two matches in hand, which keeps the title conversation open as the season deepens. For Polokwane City, their spirited second half at Orlando adds to a profile of a well structured side capable of asking awkward questions of higher placed opponents.
Yet everything funnels into Saturday’s Champions League second leg. The prize is a place in the group phase next month, the platform where the club’s continental ambitions truly begin. It is a big ask, but these are the nights that define identity, when a team decides that the scale of the challenge is not a deterrent but a call to rise.
The bottom line
Orlando Pirates did what they needed to do against Polokwane City, they won. They also learned, once more, that control without a finishing edge can leave the door slightly ajar. Now the door must be flung wide open against Saint-Eloi Lupopo, with a stadium ready to carry the volume, a team ready to turn chances into goals, and a clean sheet that would keep hope alive until the final seconds.
It will take bravery, precision and patience, the trio that flips narratives and sneaks into the history books. The kick off is set for 3pm in Soweto, and the stakes could not be higher. If Pirates find the ruthless streak their coach demands, and if the 12th man amplifies every surge, then the improbable becomes something worth chasing with every sprint, every tackle and every shot.
