The back-breaking baggage of close to five seasons now without a trophy for Orlando Pirates will not be offloaded in this season's Nedbank Cup. They were eliminated 5-4 in the penalty shootout by Black Leopards in the first round.
In front of a fiery capacity crowd at Thohoyandou Stadium last night, Justin Shonga had Pirates ahead in the 32nd minute. Mwape Musonda equalised for Leopards in the 39th.
Leopards were reduced to 10 men four minutes from the end of extra time when Lehlogonolo Masalesa caught Xola Mlambo and received a second booking from referee Victor Gomes.
Leopards goalkeeper King Ndlovu saved Innocent Maela's sudden-death penalty, and substitute Joseph Mhlongo buried his to send Leopards into the last 16.
It came to the lottery of the shootout for the team who have gone big on playing and technical staff to back up head coach Milutin Sredojevic this season, and they could not prevail.
Leopards, bayed on by their support, showed they would attack as early on winger Lifa Hlongwane beat Happy Jele into the area down the left and chipped inside, where big Zambian striker Musonda skied a volley.
Pirates opened the scoring when, from a free-kick to the left of Leopards' area, Shonga curled a low strike to the right of the wall and dive of goalkeeper Ndlovu, and inside the upright.
But Lidoda Duvha equalised when left-back Pentjie Zulu produced a superb early cross behind Bucs' defence. Musonda got free between the centrebacks to stretch a leg and score past the attempted save of Jackson Mabokgwane.
The two sides probed more cautiously in a more measured second half.
Leopards upped the ante at the start of extra time, Hlongwane forcing a diving save from Mabokgwane with a drive.
After they could not make the breakthrough, Pirates, all that trophy baggage on their shoulders, should have been throwing themselves at Leopards, but froze.
In the shootout, Happy Jele, Thamsanqa Gabuza and Shonga were successful for Pirates before Kudakwashe Mahachi missed. Musa Nyatama scored, then Maela's was saved by Ndlovu.
Musonda missed Leopards' first, then Isaac Masia, Karabo Tshepe, Tshwarelo Bereng and Thabiso Mokoena piled the pressure on Pirates as they all scored. After Ndlovu's save, Mhlongo struck the winner...