Five-star Pirates keep galloping in title chase, but Sundowns still set the pace

After what turned out to be a pulsating night of Betway Premiership football, Mamelodi Sundowns are still on top of the standings and Orlando Pirates are keeping up the pace in the chase, with much gusto.

The two teams are turning up the pace like super-fit marathon runners who are breathing down on each other’s neck, but knowing too well that there is still some distance to the finishing line.

In Tuesday night’s round of matches the Buccaneers produced one of the best displays of the season with a 5-0 thrashing of Golden Arrows at Orlando Stadium, while Sundowns narrowly beat Durban City 1-0 at Chatsworth Stadium.

Pirates scored through braces from Relebohile Mofokeng (16th and 61st minutes) and Oswin Appollis (30th and 93rd) and an own goal from Arrows goalkeeper Eduard Maova (36th). Sundowns secured their three away points from a 10th-minute strike by Katlego Ntsabeleng.

With this turn of events, Downs maintain their place at the top of the pile with 56 points but Pirates are following closely on 54 with both teams having kicked an official ball 23 times.

Pirates were not far from repeating the 7-1 hammering of Arrows they achieved in 2024 where Tshegofatso Mabasa, who is on loan at Stellenbosch FC, scored a hat-trick.

The Buccaneers have scored 18 goals in their last six league matches and they will be favourites for more when they visit Richards Bay FC on Friday night.

Sundowns have completed a feat of 10 successive league wins but they take a break from domestic action due to a trip to Tunisia where they visit Espérance Tunis in their Caf Champions League semifinal first leg on Sunday.

Pirates threatened from the beginning with Mofokeng hitting the upright and Maova forced to produce an early save.

Bucs’ spell of dominance paid off when Mofokeng got it right by beating Maova with a thunderous long-range shot that kissed the back of the net.

Pirates increased their lead on the half-hour mark when Appollis beat an Arrows defender for pace before he unleashed a low drive that got the better of Maova.

Bucs scored their third of the night when Masindi Nemtajela drilled a goal-bound shot but it deflected off the body of Maova into his own net.

The goal was registered as an own goal, as Pirates took firm control of the proceedings with Arrows having played on the back foot for most of the opening half.

Pirates’ attackers were guilty of passing the ball unnecessarily on the edge of the box but Nemtajela took a different route as he took a shot that bounced off Ayabulela Maxwele into the net.

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Mofokeng put the match beyond doubt with a sumptuous solo goal where he took on a number of Arrows defenders before putting the ball away past Maova.

Appollis rounded off an important victory for Bucs in the closing stages as he finished off a loose ball after Andre de Jong hit the upright.

In Durban, Sundowns opened the scoring when Ntsabeleng put the ball past the outstretched hands of City goalkeeper Darren Keet after he received a pass from Marcelo Allende.

Downs nearly increased their lead in the 18th but Arthur Sales watched in disbelief when his close-range effort hit the woodwork after he was released by a defence-splitting cross from Aubrey Modiba.

The Braziliansd did not take the foot off the pedal in the second half as they searched for the insurance goal. It was not to be, though, as the closest they came was when Brayan León’s effort hit the upright in the 50th.

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