Orlando Pirates survived a major scare against 10-man Durban City before a dramatic late winner from Gamphani Lungu secured a 2-1 victory and sent the defending champions into the MTN8 semi-finals at Orlando Amstel Arena on Saturday.
The Buccaneers are chasing history this season as they look to become the first side to win the MTN8 for five consecutive years. Pirates have already claimed the last four editions of the competition and are now three victories away from completing an unprecedented five-peat.
However, their latest step towards history was far from straightforward, with Durban City pushing the reigning champions all the way despite playing the majority of the contest with 10 men.
Pirates dominated possession and territory for long periods but struggled to turn their superiority into goals.
The visitors started brightly, with Tylo Sanger firing narrowly wide within seconds of kick-off, before the hosts gradually took control.
Thalente Mbatha tested Durban City goalkeeper Fredrick Asare, while Tshepang Moremi also threatened as Pirates increased the pressure.
The decisive moment of the first half arrived when Brooklyn Poggenpoel was shown a second yellow card after conceding a penalty for a challenge on Moremi inside the box.
Patrick Maswanganyi made no mistake from the spot, calmly converting to give Pirates the lead with eight minutes remaining before half-time.
Pirates were dealt a setback of their own at the interval when captain Nkosinathi Sibisi failed to return for the second half, with debutant Sbangani Zulu replacing him.
Despite their numerical disadvantage, Durban City produced an immediate response.
Jean Lumumba levelled seven minutes after the restart, finishing from close range to punish the hosts and give the visitors renewed belief.
Pirates continued to create chances through Moremi, Oswin Appollis and Kabelo Kgositsile, but their failure to find the decisive second goal sent the contest into extra time.
Head coach Abdeslam Ouaddou admitted that his side should have settled the tie earlier but praised the impact of his substitutes.
I think we could have maybe killed the game earlier, but unfortunately, we went until extra time,” Ouaddou said.
The Pirates coach also acknowledged that losing Sibisi disrupted the team before highlighting the contribution of his substitutes.
I was really happy with the impact players. They bring some speed, some energy in the game,” he said.
The Buccaneers continued to dominate in extra time, with Moremi rattling the woodwork from a free-kick and debutant Thapelo Mokobodi also threatening.
Durban City, however, remained organised and frustrated the defending champions with a compact defensive structure.
Coach Khalil Ben Youssef was proud of his players’ tactical discipline, particularly after going down to 10 men.
We managed to block inside, we leave them to play outside,” Ben Youssef said. “The second half plus the two extra time, they didn’t have the real opportunity to score.”
But just as penalties appeared inevitable, Pirates produced the moment that kept their five-peat ambitions alive.
A corner was cleared towards the edge of the penalty area, where Lungu was perfectly positioned to meet the rebound with a powerful volley that found the back of the net in the dying moments.
Ben Youssef felt fatigue eventually contributed to the decisive lapse after his players had spent more than an hour playing with a numerical disadvantage.
Physically, when you are tired, you start to make some mistake,” he said. “Unfortunately, it was last minute.”
For Ouaddou, the result represented an important step in Pirates’ bid to defend their crown, although the Frenchman knows his side must become more clinical if they are to make further history.
Pirates created a host of opportunities but repeatedly failed to put the game beyond their opponents.
We are creating a lot of chances,” Ouaddou said, while acknowledging the need for greater efficiency in the final third.
We are going to keep working. And I hope that our strikers will continue to work, continue to believe, and help us reach this target… I need my strikers to wake up quickly, to help the team ”
The Buccaneers are now the first team through to the 2026 MTN8 semi-finals, with their pursuit of an extraordinary fifth consecutive title firmly on track.
Four straight MTN8 crowns have already made Pirates the dominant force in the competition in recent years. Now, they are chasing the ultimate piece of history, a five-peat.
Image By: Orlando Pirates (on X, Formerly Twitter)