Pirates rout Chiefs in Soweto derby to move top of the log
· Citizen
Orlando Pirates handed Kaizer Chiefs a 3-0 drubbing at the FNB Stadium on Saturday to move top of the Betway Premiership standings.
They lead Mamelodi Sundowns by three points, but the Brazilians could retain their position at the top if they beat Sekhukhune United on Sunday.
Chiefs remained fourth with 30 points after 17 games.
Tshepang Moremi gave the Buccaneers the perfect start to the game through a deflected shot in the fifth minute. This was after Chiefs failed to clear the danger from a corner kick and the ball landed nicely in the path of Moremi who unleashed a powerful shot towards goal and the ball took a huge deflection off Flavio Da Silva and left Bruce Bvuma in no-man’s land.
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Following the goal, Pirates took control of the game and Chiefs opted to try and play in transition, rushing their passes and losing the ball possession in the process.
Amakhosi were able to find their rhythm as the game progressed and they were able to create some chances of their own, but most of them were from the set-pieces.
Chiefs almost found their equaliser through one of those set-pieces when the ball slipped through Sipho Chaine’s hands in the 33rd minutes, but Deon Hotto was quick to react and cleared the danger.
Pirates were to double their lead six minutes later when Oswin Appollis beat the offside trap and coolly beat Bvuma with a low shot.
Chiefs had a penalty appeal turned down in the 41st minute when Hotto appeared to have caught Silva with a late tackle inside the box, but the referee waved play on.
The Buccaneers led 2-0 at the break.
With Chiefs only registering one shot in the first 45 minutes, the Chiefs bench decided to change things a bit at the start of the second half. They took out Nkosingiphile Ngcobo and Pule Mmodi and brought on Thabo Cele and Asanele Velebayi.
Pirates thought they had scored their third goal of the match in the 55th minute through Thalente Mbatha’s header, but the goal was ruled offside.
The Buccaneers didn’t have to wait long for their goal though and they found it through substitute Evidence Makgopa’s header in the 78th minute and that proved to be the final nail in the Chiefs’ coffin.
The win saw the Buccaneers topple Sundowns at the top with 41 points after 18 games. They lead second placed with three points, but the Brazilians have a game in hand.