Orlando Pirates withstood a gallant effort from Richards Bay to book their spot in the Carling Knockout final, following their 1-0 win in the semifinal played at Moses Mabhida Stadium on Saturday.
The victory ensured the Buccaneers path to the League Cup final for the first time since the 2018/19 season, affording them the opportunity to complete a cup double halfway through the ongoing campaign. They now await the winner of the second semifinal, set to be contested in the same city by Lamontville Golden Arrows and Marumo Gallants on Sunday afternoon.
In their second outing in Durban this week, Pirates asserted dominance from the start as they swiftly pushed play into the opposition half. The visitors were made to contend with a succession of corner kicks played into their penalty area, and managed to survive the early onslaught without much incident.
Bucs midfielder Sipho Mbule posed the first real threat 12 minutes in, gathering the rebound following a clearance before drawing goalkeeper Ian Otieno into a save. He remained in the thick of the action when he found Yanela Mbuthuma with a clever chip before the onrushing shot stopper ensured that the contest remained goalless.
The same duo combined once more with Mbule popping up on the flank where he delivered a cross to the striker, whose first-time shot fell comfortably wide.
Resilient defence ensured limited clear efforts at goal for Pirates, who were pushed further out from the home side’s penalty area. This forced defender Mbekezeli Mbokazi into a speculative effort from a long way out, sending his shot drifting well wide.
The chance to pull ahead inside the first period was becoming slim as the first half drew to a close, and that’s when the combination of Oswin Appollis and Tshepang Moremi pulled through with a bit of magic. This was three minutes from the break when a perfectly-placed long ball from the Bucs number 12 found Moremi who timed his run well before firing past a diving Otieno.
