Orlando Pirates Stay in the Hunt After 2-1 Win Against Arrows – Is the Title Dream Still Alive?

Orlando Pirates kept their faint Betway Premiership title hopes alive with a hard-fought 2-1 win over Golden Arrows at the Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban on Tuesday night. The victory closed the gap between the Buccaneers and league leaders Mamelodi Sundowns to nine points, with Pirates still holding a game in hand.

Major Line-Up Changes from the Derby Win

Following their impressive showing in the Soweto Derby win over Kaizer Chiefs, coach Jose Riveiro rang the changes – making seven alterations to the line-up. Only Mbekezeli Mbokazi, Bandile Shandu, Tapelo Xoki, and Makhehlene Makhaula retained their places from the team that triumphed at FNB Stadium.

End-to-End First Half Without a Goal

The midweek encounter proved to be an entertaining affair, with both sides playing open and attacking football. Despite several early opportunities for both teams, the score remained goalless at the interval.

Golden Arrows targeted young left-back Yanga Madiba early on, looking to exploit his inexperience. Siyanda Mthanti came close to opening the scoring in the third minute, cutting inside before forcing a save from Melusi Buthelezi. Pirates quickly responded, with Shandu’s cross-shot flashing across the face of goal.

Arrows continued to pose a threat, particularly from set pieces, and nearly scored from a corner in the 11th minute when Nhlanhla Zwane’s unmarked header went just wide. The Buccaneers had their own chances too – Karim Kimvuidi’s clever play and deflected shot nearly paid off, while Xoki squandered a close-range opportunity from the resulting corner.

Just before half-time, Mthanti once again tested the Pirates defence, sprinting past Xoki only to fire wide of goal.

Maswanganyi and Mabasa Deliver Key Goals

Pirates eventually broke the deadlock six minutes into the second half. Kabelo Dlamini delivered a precise pass to Patrick Maswanganyi, who timed his run perfectly, beat Arrows goalkeeper Edward Maova, and calmly slotted into an empty net.

However, the lead was short-lived. Just eight minutes later, Mthanti capped his impressive performance by converting a superb cross from Velemseni Ndwandwe to bring Arrows level.

The match-winner arrived in the 73rd minute, when substitute Tshegofatso Mabasa pounced on a defensive error. The Arrows backline failed to deal with a loose ball in the box, and Mabasa made no mistake with a well-executed volley to restore Pirates’ advantage.

Orlando Pirates Title Hopes Still Alive Ahead of Crucial Cup Final

The result keeps the Buccaneers in the title race, although they will need to maintain consistency and hope Sundowns drop points. Pirates now turn their attention to the Nedbank Cup final, where they will face Kaizer Chiefs once again at the very same Moses Mabhida Stadium on Saturday.

Can Pirates keep their momentum going with silverware and a potential league push?

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Related article: Live Score and Updates: Golden Arrows vs Orlando Pirates