Careless Pirates taxed late by Revenue Authority
TWO beautiful goals appeared to have given Orlando Pirates enough of a lead to protect in the away leg against Uganda Revenue Authority (URA), until substitute Happy Jele’s 93rd-minute own goal stunned Bucs.
After Rooi Mahamutsa’s stunner from 28 metres in the fourth minute, Bucs lost their way in this Caf Confederation Cup first-leg match. But substitute Lehlohonolo Majoro, on for Kermit Erasmus 10 minutes earlier, scored an equally beautiful goal in the 85th minute that appeared to have given Pirates a good chance going into the second leg in Kampala in two weeks’ time.
Jele’s own goal, though, deep into the referee’s added time, has given the Ugandan club hope.
URA were not at full strength. They were missing two first-team regulars to injury and two more to suspension, including star striker Robert Ssentongo.
The top scorer in the Ugan- dan league with 14 goals, scored three over the two legs in URA’s 4-2 aggregate win over ASSM Elgeco of Madagascar in the previous round, but was red-carded in the second. He was missed — URA created chances a poacher like Ssentongo might have taken.
Pirates, who had a bye in the previous round, will meet the winners of the match between Zimbabwe’s Dynamos and CF Mounana from Gabon if they can get past the “Tax Collectors”.
To do that Bucs will probably need a better performance than this one in Kampala in two weeks’ time.
Seeking goals, their buildups were too slow and across the pitch. This approach against a defensive team can get a team unstuck. Or, rather, stuck. They upped the urgency in the last 20 minutes, producing another goal. But Jele’s effort seemed deserved for the efforts of URA.
No-nonsense, sturdily built centre-back Mahamutsa opened the scoring in characteristic fashion. Receiving a pass across the face of the penalty area from Oupa Manyisa, Mahamutsa controlled then swung a right leg, hitting a drive crisply, powerfully and perfectly into the top-right corner, leaving a diving goalkeeper with no chance.
Pirates, though, kept to a recent South African trend. Having taken the lead, they went to sleep. They played sideways too much when, with goals at a premium, a more direct approach was needed.
URA, allowed back into the game, showed they were not just a defensive side and that their forwards could be troublesome given a yard of space.
In the 26th minute, from Samuel Sekitto’s squared ball, Mahamutsa almost scored a second, but it would have been into his own goal.
The flat pattern Bucs had worked themselves into in the first half was difficult to work out of in the second.
Attempting to inject creative urgency on his wing, coach Eric Tinkler brought on crowd favourite Thabo Rakhale for the more workmanlike Mpho Makola.
But now Pirates were essentially limited to attempting shots from range.
Kermit Erasmus’s sharp volley in the 66th minute was close, but slipped wide.
Bucs stepped up the pace in the last 20 minutes and Majoro added a fine second. After a superb little pass back from Oupa Manyisa, Majoro shaped a shot past the goalkeeper from 25 metres.
But Lwasa’s goal, from an uncleared cross, left the tie wide open.