Fighting Maritzburg and soft penalty down Orlando Pirates at Harry Gwala
Image: Darren Stewart/Gallo Images
Maritzburg United put up a fighting performance to match Orlando Pirates blow for blow, though they profited from what seemed a softly-awarded penalty to earn a 1-0 DStv Premiership victory for the gutsy KwaZulu-Natal outfit on Sunday evening.
In a frenetically paced, competitive matchup Amadou Soukouna’s 81st-minute spot-kick separated the sides in a noisy atmosphere at Pietermaritzburg’s packed 12,000-seater Harry Gwala Stadium.
Mid-table United notched just their second league win in seven matches to go with three draws and two defeats. Pirates succumbed to a second defeat of the campaign.
The first half was played at a breathtaking pace. Maritzburg enjoy making their home ground a slaughterhouse. Harry Gwala is one of the few venues in the country where a home team can match SA’s big three sides with a 50/50 split crowd attendance, sometimes outnumbering them.
The furious harassment and work-rate in closing spaces of coach John Maduka’s United made it hard for Pirates to put their foot on the ball and produce the expressive, technical football they have striven for under Jose Riveiro.
Bucs came out piling on the pressure with four corners inside the opening 10 minutes. From one of those Maritzburg could not clear and Innocent Maela saw an attempted shot blocked before Fortune Makaringe struck the loose ball wide.
The stadium lights tripped, holding the game up for some 10 minutes from the 19th minute. After the return it was United, and the dangerous running of their striker Soukouna, that threatened.
A flick-on by the 30-year-old former France under-19 international found the feet of strike partner Tumelo Njoti to advance and feed Soukouna again through a tight opening in the middle, the forward forcing a save from Richard Ofori.
Deep in the 10 minutes of first-half added time a ball over the top landed on Soukouna to take down and find space, under the attention of Olisah Ndah, to squeeze a low strike that was stopped by a diving Ofori.
Just back from the break Bucs had an opportunity from a set piece as Thabang Monare’s free-kick from the left found the free head of Maela to deflect inches wide.
In the 65th substitute Zakhele Lepasa took the ball off Given Mashikinya in United’s half on the right and set off on a dazzling run, toe-poking-past and rounding centreback Bonginkosi Makume but shaping his attempt at a finish past the right upright.
Maritzburg substitute Rowan Human lost the ball in midfield allowing Pirates’ replacement Ben Motshwari to knock a pass upfield for Bienvenu Eva Nga, United goalkeeper King Ndlovu coming out of his box for a crucial intercept.
With the clock winding down Maritzburg substitute Siboniso Conco ran onto a bouncing ball in the area and went down under what appeared minimal contact from Ndah, referee Tshidiso Maruping pointed to the spot. Soukouna stepped up and slotted past the fingertips of Ofori, who dived the right way to his right.