Friday night assignment is lined up for Orlando Pirates as they travel to take on Richards Bay in a Betway Premiership clash at uMhlathuze Stadium.
It’s the Buccaneers’ first trip to the newly revamped venue on the coast of KwaZulu-Natal and yet another do-or-die clash in their quest for league honours. They’re on a mission to add three more points to their collection with only a handful of fixtures remaining in the ongoing season.
A sell-out affair is expected in this crucial league fixture which also serves as the Buccaneers’ final voyage to KZN in the ongoing campaign.
After featuring in and out of the top eight throughout the first half of the season, Richards Bay have endured a difficult 2026 where they have mostly battled for winning momentum. They currently sit in 11th place after only two of their matches played in the new year managed to yield three points.
However, the last of these victories came in their most recent outing where they beat the visiting Stellenbosch 2-1 to end a three-match losing streak.
The Natal Rich Boyz now set their sights towards the Buccaneers, eyeing a second consecutive win. It’s a feat they have only achieved once this season, back in September when they claimed narrow victories against Stellenbosch and Magesi.
Despite battling to string wins together for much of their campaign, uMhlathuze Stadium has proven to be a difficult place to conquer for visiting teams with Richards Bay only losing twice in 11 home matches. The most recent of their home defeats dates to October, a rare bright spot amid what has been an increasingly tough season.
The KZN outfit will likely be without the injured Gabadinho Mhango, who is yet to feature this year alongside experienced defender Tshepo Mabua, who could miss yet another fixture having been out injured since November.
