Orlando Pirates take to the road for the first time in their Betway Premiership campaign,
docking at King Zwelithini Stadium for Sunday’s clash against Richards Bay. It’s the last fixture in what has been a busy September for the Buccaneers, who have been
involved in three different competitions.
Form Guide
They close out the month still unbeaten in the new season having already taken to the field a total of nine times, winning seven and drawing twice. These include their two Premiership outings, where they have collected all six available points through home wins against Chippa United and Polokwane City.
In between the two league victories, the Soweto Giants enjoyed continental cup success as they qualified for the group stage of the CAF Champions League. They did so by completing a 3-0 aggregate win over Jwaneng Galaxy, beating them home and away.
Their away win against the Botswana champions has so far been their only victory on the road this season, with their other two games played away from Orlando Stadium producing stalemates. This could make for a tricky challenge against the men from KwaZulu-Natal who were victorious in their only home outing, beating TS Galaxy 1-0 in their league opener.
With a further two matches played since then, the Natal Rich Boys have managed to add just a single point to their tally as they fell to a narrow defeat away to Chippa before playing to a goalless draw against provincial rivals Royal AM.
They now find themselves in eighth place in the standings and will be determined to return to winning ways with a solid performance against the second-placed Buccaneers.
Team News
Thabiso Monyane is unavailable for selection after he was booked during the victory over Polokwane.The right-back has accumulated four yellow cards, prompting an automatic suspension that rules him out for one match. Meanwhile, midfielder Miguel Timm is one of a handful of players inching close to a return to
the match-day squad after a brief spell on the sidelines.
There are no suspension concerns for the hosts going into Sunday’s encounter, while new signings Siyabonga Dube and Sabelo Radebe will be eyeing their first appearances in the club’s colours.
Key Players
Thabiso Sesane (Orlando Pirates): Amid stiff competition for spots in the Bucs defence, Sesane has risen to claim a regular place in the starting lineup through hard work and commitment which has been evident on the field. With the Buccaneers requiring a solid defensive effort in search of their first away points this season, the 24-year-old’s calm demeanour and excellent reading of the game could prove crucial.
Salim Magoola (Richards Bay): Having kept clean sheets in two of their three matches played thus far, Richards Bay’s last line of defence could be the difference in what is a testing assignment for the hosts. The Ugandan international is yet to concede in two league games against the Buccaneers and will be eager to keep that streak running on Sunday.
