Pirates spurn chances and SuperSport miss out on a smash and grab

Orlando Pirates dominated the majority of Sunday evening’s 0-0 DStv Premiership draw against SuperSport United but could not bury their chances.

Matsatsantsa, still seeking a win under Gavin Hunt four games into the 2022-23 season, spurned two excellent opportunities to snatch a smash and grab at the end at Lucas Moripe Stadium.

Pirates are still seeking full fluency under new coach Jose Riveiro and could not add to successive 1-0 wins — at home to Chippa United then away against Royal AM — in front of a vocal crowd.

Bucs were forceful and snappy in their build-ups and pushed forward against a SuperSport who were hard to break down, but showed little in ingenuity or fluency in the other direction until the final 15 minutes.

Pirates had the best of the opening half.

Early on Matsatsantsa goalkeeper George Chigova hesitated on a clearance from a back-pass and when he did kick, the Zimbabwean had been charged down by the imposing frame of Bienvenu Eva Nga, the ball ricocheting off the striker for a goal-kick.

Vincent Pule slipped on pass on the edge of the area, recovered and slipped a ball for the overlapping run of left wingback Deon Hotto whose strike skimmed the side-netting.

Pule cut in from the right onto his stronger left and cracked a powerful drive that thudded into the gloves of Chigova.

Referee Victor Gomes continued to direct traffic that was mostly travelling in the direction of Chigova’s goal in the second half.

Soon after the break Goodman Mosele found Eva Nga in space on the left of the area to strike powerfully at Chigova and Pule, steaming in on the other side, hit the rebound wide.

Bucs kept spurning chances, and SuperSport continued to battle to produce any and the game seemed headed for a draw, Kabelo Dlamini’s direct run through the middle ended with the forward driving wide of the left upright.

Given Bucs’ dominance without scoring it seemed inevitable SuperSport would conjure something at the other end.

When they did, substitute Thamsanqa Gabuza, on for Bradley Grobler in the 76th minute, missed a sitter in the 83rd. Pirates could not clear in their area allowing another Matsatsantsa replacement, Aubrey Ngoma, to square for Gabuza, who slipped on the ball with an open goal beckoning.

Gabuza won a bouncing ball on the edge of the box allowing another SuperSport substitute, Iqraam Rayners, to control and strike wide.

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