Orlando Pirates were denied the chance to strengthen their grip on top spot in the Betway Premiership after being held to a 1–1 draw by their rivals Kaizer Chiefs at FNB Stadium on Sunday Afternoon.
Buccaneers welcomed back Deon Hotto and Thalente Mbatha following their victory over AmaZulu, while AmaKhosi saw the return of Sibongiseni Mthethwa, Siphesihle Ndlovu and Pule Mmodi after their goalless stalemate with Polokwane City.
The sold-out clash experienced two delays, first moving from 15:00 to 15:30 and then to 15:45. Tensions were evident even before kickoff, as several scuffles broke out during the warm-up, prompting police intervention. This disruption saw Amakhosi cut short their preparations and return to the dressing room.
The Buccaneers started brightly, enjoying the lion’s share of possession in the opening exchanges. They thought they had taken the lead in the 18th minute when Oswin Appollis found the back of the net with a tidy finish, but the effort was disallowed for offside.
Moments later, the hosts had a golden opportunity to open the scoring. Relebohile Mofokeng surged down the right flank and delivered a perfect pass to an unmarked Yanela Mbuthuma, but Brandon Petersen reacted quickly, rushing off his line to deny the forward with an excellent save.
Pirates were then forced into an early change before halftime, with Patrick Maswanganyi coming on to replace the injured Tshepang Moremi.
Kaizer Chiefs broke the deadlock in the 62nd minute. Wandile Duba made an impressive run down the right before calmly setting up Pule Mmodi, who finished confidently to score his first Soweto Derby goal for the club.
Pirates responded in the 75th minute, drawing level through Kamogelo Sebelebele. After Petersen parried Hotto’s initial attempt, Sebelebele reacted quickest to slot home from close range and register his first derby goal.
Both teams pushed hard for a late winner, but neither could find the decisive goal, leaving Pirates to rue dropped points in their pursuit of the title.
Kaizer Chiefs co-coach Khali Ben Youssef stated that his side executed their plan well and deserved all three points.
About the game, I think the plan was developed from early in the week, We know that the target of Orlando Pirates is zone 14, the space between the lines, and they use a lot Moremi, Mofokeng and Appollis, that’s why we used Ox, to give us more balance.
Tactically what worked is that we deserved to win the game, we won the game tactically it was good. Always every mistake we have to fight and make and correct it in the training session,he added.
Orlando Pirates head coach admitted they anticipated a physical battle after assessing Kaizer Chiefs’ midfield setup, following their Soweto Derby clash.
Look, we expected a tough game. When you see the line-up, especially in the middle, we knew they would not come trying to play, but rather be well-organised, compact, and rely on very physical duels that’s what we had.
The coach went further, expressing frustration over what he felt was excessive physicality directed at key attacking players.
What I have seen today, I don’t know if I’ve seen a football game or karate. I don’t want to disrespect other sports, but today was not a football match. Our three ball players were targeted Appollis, Mofokeng and Moremi not to play football, but to break their legs.
Orlando Pirates will be eager redeem themselves in the title race as they travel to face Stellenbosch FC, while Kaizer Chiefs turn their attention to their pursuit of a top-two finish with a crucial clash against Siwelele FC.
Images: Orlando Pirates Football Club