A busy few days await Orlando Pirates, who host Cape Town Spurs on Wednesday in the first of two home DStv Premiership fixtures scheduled for the week.
The Bucs faithful at Orlando Stadium will catch a glimpse of the Soweto Giants for the first time in 2024 as they drop anchor in familiar waters after setting sail for a demanding three weeks away from home.
Form Guide
They return from their travels still unbeaten in the new year and will face the Urban Warriors just days after a hard-fought 1-0 league victory away to Polokwane City.
That win was their second on the bounce, following a resounding cup victory notched up in Mbombela a week after kicking the year off with a league stalemate away to Mamelodi Sundowns.
In their five most recent outings in the Premiership, the Buccaneers have tallied up seven points via two wins and a draw after suffering two defeats in the latter part of the previous year.
Currently fourth in the standings, a win on Wednesday could place them as high as second place. That however promises to be a tricky task, as they come up against a resurgent Spurs outfit enjoying their best run of results after a harrowing start to their first campaign in the top flight since their relegation in 2018.
The Cape outfit has prevailed in each of their last two league fixtures, claiming home wins against AmaZulu and TS Galaxy on either side of a disappointing cup defeat away to the University of Pretoria.
Despite their current position at the bottom of the standings with only 10 points earned this season, they have managed to gather seven points in their last five games and head to Soweto in search of a win that could play a massive part in their bid for survival.
Team News
Midfielder Miguel Timm is again eligible for selection after completing the two-match ban that forced him to sit out games against Crystal Lake and Polokwane City.
The Buccaneers will however have to do without another key player in midweek, with defender Olisa Ndah suspended for the clash.
Spurs meanwhile appear likely to continue without the services of Namibian centre-back Lubeni Haukongo, who missed his side’s last two matches due to a knee injury.
Key Players
Relebohile Mofokeng (Orlando Pirates): The teenager continues to enjoy a mercurial rise in Bucs colours, enjoying a bigger role in the First Team in only his second season of senior football. Possessing immense skill and confidence on the ball, Mofokeng has emerged as one of the Buccaneers’ most potent creative players.
Ashley Cupido (Cape Town Spurs): The South Africa youth international was instrumental in Spurs’ successful campaign in the Championship, and appears to have rediscovered his sharp goal-scoring form after a slow start to the season. Cupido has led the Urban Warriors’ recent resurgence, netting three goals in his last two league appearances to take his tally for the season to six.
Head-to-Head
Pirates will hope to avenge an upset suffered on their visit to the Mother City earlier in the season when they lost 2-1 at Cape Town Stadium. The shock results occurred just days after the two sides met at Orlando Stadium in the opening round of the Carling Knockout, where Tapelo Xoki and Kermit Erasmus each found the net to hand the Buccaneers a 2-0 win.
The hosts head into Wednesday’s clash looking to uphold their proud home record against the Urban Warriors, whose last away victory in league games between the two sides dates back to the 2008/09 season.
The Soweto Giants have also been the more dominant side overall, winning 15 of their last 29 league fixtures against the Capetonians, who have been on the winning side just six times during this period, while eight games have finished level.
How to Watch Orlando Pirates vs Cape Town Spurs
The game starts at 19:30 and will be broadcast live on SuperSport PSL. Live updates will be posted across Orlando Pirates’ social media platforms and the Club’s official mobile app throughout the match.
Tickets are available online on TicketPro and selected outlets nationwide.
