An extended period away from home continues for Orlando Pirates who are in the Mother City for a DStv Premiership fixture against Cape Town City on Wednesday.
Cape Town Stadium hosts this midweek encounter featuring two teams in the top half of the table with just a handful of games left until the end of the season.
Form Guide
It comes three days after the Buccaneersâ last away game where they netted four unanswered goals against Royal AM to strengthen their hold on third place in the Premiership standings.
The victory was their third league win in a row and their fourth match unbeaten, taking their points tally to 10 in their last five games, where they have only suffered a single defeat.
A standout feature in Piratesâ recent run has been their efficiency in front of goal, which has yielded 14 goals during this period while the defence has kept things quiet at the other end with just five netted by the opposition.
Now looking for three more points to climb to second place, the Soweto Giants meet a City outfit desperate to arrest their slide down the standings, as they are yet to celebrate victory in 2024.
Owing to their excellent start to the season, the Cape outfit remains in the top half of the table in sixth place despite not registering a win since December 2023. They have claimed just four out of a possible 15 points in their five most recent outings, drawing four and losing once.
City now face the Buccaneers at the back of consecutive stalemates in games against Polokwane City and Lamontville Golden Arrows and will be determined to turn their fortunes around with a winning performance on Wednesday.
Team News
Sundayâs victory came at some cost for the Buccaneers, who were dealt a blow when right-back Thabiso Lebitso had to be withdrawn inside the opening 20 minutes. His injury rules him out of Wednesdayâs fixture, and could mean another opportunity for Thabiso Monyane who put on a tireless shift after coming on as his replacement.
Other notable absentees from the Bucs’ travelling party are midfield duo Patrick Maswanganyi and Makhehleni Makhaula, suspended for their clash after their bookings at Harry Gwala.
There are however some significant boosts for coach Jose Riveiro with Sipho Chaine, Deon Hotto, and Miguel Timm all back from suspension after missing the trip to the Midlands.
Meanwhile, City will welcome back defender Keanu Cupido who has completed a two-match suspension after picking up a red card against AmaZulu.
Key Players
Kabelo Dlamini (Orlando Pirates): After featuring sporadically for much of the first half of the season, Dlamini is back to his best and has been involved in five goals in his last five starts. The midfielderâs passing range from both open play and set pieces makes him a potent creative outlet while also a goal threat through his unerring left boot.
Khanyisa Mayo (Cape Town City): The City forward is enjoying yet another productive season in front of goal, continuing to cement his status as one of the best strikers in the country. With 11 goals scored in the league this season, Mayo is an ever-present threat in front of goal and will command some attention from the Bucs defence.
Head-to-Head
Pirates edged ahead in what has been a tight rivalry when they won 2-0 at home in the reverse fixture, with Zakhele Lepasa and Maswanganyi providing the goals.
The victory was their fourth in 15 league matches against City, who have won three times with eight games finishing in a stalemate.
However, the search for a triumph away to the Citizens continues for the Buccaneers after managing four draws and three defeats in seven visits to the Mother City.
How to Watch Orlando Pirates vs Cape Town City
The match is scheduled to kick off at 15:00 and will be broadcast live on SuperSport PSL. You can stay in touch with the action as it happens by following live updates posted across Orlando Piratesâ social media platforms, including the Clubâs official mobile app.
