Orlando Pirates (1) 2
Radiopane 36’, Appollis 62’
Sekhukhune United (0) 0
Orlando Pirates strengthened their position at the top of the Betway Premiership with a 2-0 victory over Sekhukhune United FC at the Orlando Amstel Arena on Tuesday.
The Buccaneers made it back-to-back wins over Babina Noko after also beating them in the first leg of their MTN8 semi-final at the weekend.
Pirates became the first team to reach double figures in the league this season, moving onto 10 points from their opening four matches.
With their regular number nines unavailable, Boitumelo Radiopane stepped up to provide the breakthrough in the 36th minute.
The 24-year-old showed excellent instinct inside the box, swivelling away from his marker in a tight area before firing into the bottom corner of Melusi Buthelezi’s goal.
Radiopane was at the heart of Pirates’ second goal after the break, producing another moment of quality in the 62nd minute.
The forward burst beyond the Sekhukhune defensive line before showing impressive composure to square the ball for Oswin Appollis, who was left with only Buthelezi to beat.
The Bafana Bafana winger made no mistake, calmly finishing the opportunity to double Pirates’ advantage.
It was another carefully managed outing for Appollis, who has not completed a full 90 minutes for Pirates this season following his involvement with Bafana at the World Cup.
The victory came in the second meeting between the sides in four days, with Pirates once again proving too strong for a Sekhukhune side that struggled to create clear opportunities.
The teams will meet for a third time next Saturday when the MTN8 semi-final is decided.
Ouaddou made several changes to the side that started the first leg, potentially with one eye on the decisive second leg.
However, the rotation did little to affect Pirates’ overall structure as they controlled the game and secured another clean sheet.
For Sekhukhune coach Cedric Kaze, the result represents another setback against the same opponent, despite his side having shown improvement in spells during the first meeting.
Pirates will now turn their attention back to the MTN8, carrying a 1-0 advantage into the second leg and the confidence of another victory over Babina Noko.
