JOHANNESBURG – Orlando Pirates staged a dramatic comeback to defeat Kaizer Chiefs 2-1 at a packed FNB Stadium on Saturday afternoon, completing a Betway Premiership double over their fierce Soweto rivals and tightening their grip on a top-three league finish.
The Buccaneers overturned an early deficit to walk away with all three points, reigniting momentum ahead of their upcoming Nedbank Cup final against the same opponents next weekend. The result also closed the gap between Pirates and league leaders Mamelodi Sundowns to nine points, pending Sundowns’ clash with Cape Town City later in the evening.
For Chiefs, the loss extended their winless streak in the league to seven matches, raising further doubts about their chances of finishing in the top eight. They remain ninth on the table, level on points with Chippa United but having played two more games than the Eastern Cape side.
Kick-off was delayed by 30 minutes due to crowd congestion at the gates. But the delay didn’t dim the atmosphere or the pace. Just two minutes in, Dillon Solomons intercepted a pass high up the field and teed up Makabi Lilepo, whose swift strike beat Sipho Chaine at his near post to give Chiefs an early 1-0 lead.
Pirates found their rhythm soon after, equalising in the 24th minute. Mohau Nkota slid a pinpoint pass behind the defence for Evidence Makgopa, who calmly slotted the ball through Bruce Bvuma’s legs to make it 1-1.
Cometh the man, cometh the Cocomelon 👶🔥
— SuperSport Football ⚽️ (@SSFootball) May 3, 2025
Rele Mofokeng is the real deal 😤
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The Buccaneers almost snatched the lead on 33 minutes when Tapelo Xoki met a Deon Hotto free-kick with a powerful header, but Bvuma reacted brilliantly to push the ball over the bar. Another chance followed for Makgopa, though he dragged his shot narrowly wide.
Chiefs had a golden opportunity to regain the advantage just before halftime. A Yusuf Maart cross was misjudged by Mbekezeli Mbokazi, nearly resulting in an own goal, but Chaine came to the rescue with a sharp stop at the near post.
Jose Riveiro’s men made a tactical switch at the break, bringing on Kabelo Dlamini for Paseka Mako and moving Hotto into defence. Dlamini nearly made an immediate impact with a curling effort from the edge of the box that sailed just over the bar.
Pirates took the lead in the 69th minute. Hotto and Relebohile Mofokeng combined brilliantly, with the latter drilling a low shot through traffic to beat Bvuma and make it 2-1. The visitors kept pushing, creating further chances for Nkota and Mofokeng, but Chiefs held on, hoping to force a late equaliser.
Amakhosi made a flurry of substitutions—introducing Edson Castillo, Ashley du Preez, Tashreeq Morris and Thabo Cele—but their chances were dashed in stoppage time when Bradley Cross received a second yellow card, reducing the team to 10 men.
Pirates now shift focus to their next league outing against Golden Arrows on Tuesday, before the high-stakes Nedbank Cup final rematch with Chiefs on Saturday, 10 May, at Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban.
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