Buccaneers prove to be best of the rest
• Coach Riveiro may emerge at season’s end with more trophies than the Sundowns juggernaut
With Mamelodi Sundowns in a league of their own on the domestic scene, having wrapped up the Premier Soccer League (PSL) title nearly eight weeks ago with a record seven games to spare, Orlando Pirates eventually emerged top of the pile in the competition for the best of the rest after strolling to a comfortable 4-0 victory over AmaZulu at Durban’s Moses Mabhida Stadium on Saturday.
Thabiso Nonyane, Relebohile Ratomo, Monnapule Saleng and Kabelo Dlamini were on target for Pirates.
The win, achieved with their biggest margin of victory this season, extended the Buccaneers’ impressive unbeaten run to 12 games in all competitions and ensured their joining Sundowns as SA’s representatives in next season’s Champions League. Having last tasted defeat three months ago when they lost 1-0 to arch-rivals Kaizer Chiefs in their second-round league encounter on February 25, José Riveiro’s side goes into Saturday’s Nedbank Cup final confident of adding a second piece of silverware to the MTN8 they won in November.
Even if they don’t manage to lift SA’s version of the FA Cup for a fourth time in the PSL era, the season could still be seen as a success for Riveiro, who has a good chance of having more trophies than the Sundowns juggernaut at the end of the campaign. “We have reasons to be optimistic and positive about what’s coming for us,” the Spaniard told reporters after his team’s victory on Saturday.
“We will start again in two months’ with zero points. What we have achieved this season in very important. We have one more game to play [the Nedbank Cup final], with one more title that is in our hands to get, but it’s still not enough.
“We want to go forward, we want to really challenge for everything next season. For that to happen we need to go really deep to analyse what happened this season. There is room to improve.” Sekhukhune United warmed up for the Nedbank Cup final with a 1-0 win over SuperSport United as the Limpopo-based side continued their impressive recent form that has seen them losing only once (to AmaZulu) in their last 11 league and cup games.
While Brandon Truter’s team finished in a commendable seventh position, Matsatsanta were already assured of at least third place, which sees them returning to the Confederation Cup for the first time since 2018.
Cape Town City leapfrogged Kaizer Chiefs to claim fourth place with a 1-0 win at FNB Stadium despite playing with 10 men for nearly an hour after defender Taariq Fielies was redcarded in the 34th minute. It was Amakhosi’s 12th defeat in a wretched season. Despite assurances from the club’s hierarchy, the future of coach Arthur Zwane continues to be the subject of intense speculation.
At the other end of the table, Marumo Gallants ended an awful week with a 2-0 defeat at Swallows FC that condemned them to relegation as the Dube Birds, who just three weeks ago were involved in the relegation scrap, secured a top-eight finish.
The defeat, just three days after being eliminated in the semifinals of the Confederation Cup by Tanzania’s Young Africans, was a particularly bitter pill for Gallants to swallow.
Chippa United’s tepid, goalless draw with Golden Arrows at Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium ensured they survive in the top flight for a ninth season running.
The Chilli Boys finished level on 30 points with Maritzburg United, but their marginally better goal difference ensured a 14place finish, leaving the Team of Choice with the tricky task of having to negotiate the play-offs against Cape Town Spurs and Casric Stars to retain their PSL status. Maritzburg, who topped the play-off log four seasons ago when they faced Royal Eagles and Tshakuma Tsha Madzivhandila, will be aiming for a similar outcome against the second- and third-placed second-tier teams.
A good omen for Fadlu Davids’ side is that the last time they were involved in the playoffs Sundowns were crowned champions, Pirates ended runners-up and a Gavin Huntcoached side, BidVest Wits, finished third. That’s exactly how it Chippa United’s tepid, goalless drawended this season with Hunt now coaching third-placed SuperSport United.