Orlando Pirates 2 (0) Appollis 24’ Moremi 86’
Milford FC 0
Orlando Pirates made a winning start to the defence of their Betway Premiership title after second-half substitute Tshepang Moremi sealed a 2-0 victory over top-flight newcomers Milford FC at Orlando Amstel Arena on Saturday.
Oswin Appollis had given the Buccaneers the lead midway through the first half before Moremi wrapped up the points four minutes from time to ensure coach Abdeslam Ouaddou opened the new campaign with maximum points.
With Relebohile Mofokeng now plying his trade in Belgium, much of Pirates’ attacking responsibility is expected to fall on Appollis this season, and the Bafana Bafana winger wasted little time making his mark.
His 24th-minute free-kick took a telling deflection off the Milford wall, wrong-footing the goalkeeper to become the first goal of the new Betway Premiership season.
Ouaddou largely trusted the core of the squad that delivered the league title last season, although promising youngster Cameron Dansin was handed a surprise start in midfield.
Milford, meanwhile, showed little sign of being overawed on their Premiership debut.
The visitors enjoyed encouraging spells of possession during the opening half and looked comfortable playing through Pirates’ press whenever opportunities presented themselves. They also created a handful of promising situations without seriously troubling Sipho Chaine.
Despite controlling possession for long periods, Pirates found it difficult to break down Milford’s compact defensive shape.
Appollis’ deflected free-kick ultimately proved the difference between the sides before the interval as the defending champions took a slender advantage into the dressing room.
There was an expectation that Pirates would raise the tempo after the restart, but the second half followed a similar pattern.
The Buccaneers dominated the ball without creating many clear-cut opportunities, while Milford remained disciplined and organised in defence.
The hosts had to wait until the hour mark before threatening again, with Deon Hotto denied in a one-on-one situation by an excellent save from the Milford goalkeeper.
Ouaddou’s frustration was evident on the touchline as he demanded greater urgency and sharper movement from his players, who at times still looked to be carrying the rust of pre-season.
Milford continued to frustrate the defending champions and briefly threatened to set up a tense finish before Pirates finally found the killer second goal.
Moremi was released with a perfectly weighted ball over the top, leaving him with half the pitch to charge towards goal. The winger kept his composure, rounded the advancing goalkeeper and calmly slotted into an empty net in the 86th minute to put the result beyond doubt.
While Pirates may not have produced their most fluent performance, they ultimately did enough to begin their title defence with three points and a clean sheet.
Milford, meanwhile, can take encouragement from a disciplined display on their top-flight debut, but they left Orlando Stadium empty-handed after being punished by two moments of quality from the defending champions.
Pirates will now turn their attention to defending their MTN8 title as they kick off that competition next week against Durban City.
