Orlando Pirates were held in their second outing in Marbella with their pre-season friendly match against Cypriot outfit Pafos finishing in a 1-1 draw.
Preparations for the upcoming season continued in the Spanish coast with the Buccaneers looking to bounce back after defeat against Bolton Wanderers earlier in the week. They met a side already with two victories in their off-season.
It looked as if the Soweto Giants were set up for an uphill climb as The Light Brigade – as Pafos are popularly known – stamped their mark on proceedings with just six minutes played. They found an opener following a counter resulting from a Bucs free kick which failed to threaten their defence.
The European outfit maintained pressure on the Buccaneers for much of the early stages of the first half with goalkeeper Sipho Chaine called up to intervene on several occasions. The shot-stopper proved equal to the task as he kept his side’s deficit to a minimum.
Pirates meanwhile made a few forays into opposition territory without giving the defending side a few reasons to sweat. It took a bit of magic from winger Oswin Appollis to draw them level, with the new signing finding Relebohile Mofokeng with a superb pass and the 20-year-old made no mistake in calmly slotting home to make it 1-1 in the 24th minute.
The goal shifted the momentum with the Buccaneers finding a few opportunities in the latter half of the opening period. Midfielder Sipho Mbule drew a save from the keeper with a long-range effort while Kabelo Dlamini went just wide with his attempt from a similar distance.
Replacement goalkeeper Siyabonga Dladla was called upon on a couple of occasions early in the second half, and was a cool presence between the posts. His side was just as active at the other end with Boitumelo Radiopane looking lively inside the box.
The shot-stopper was tested late on via a free kick delivered into the box. It bounced awkwardly, but he was positioned well enough to make a crucial block as a number of white shirts descended towards the Pirates goal before a clearance was made.
The Pafos defence continued to frustrate Pirates as time ran out, with the likes of Patrick Maswanganyi and Tshepang Moremi falling just short in their attempts to find the winner. The decisive goal remained elusive in what was another vital exercise for the Soweto Giants, who have another busy week ahead of them in Malaga.
They next cross paths with Spanish second tier outfit Las Palmas on Thursday evening with the game kicking off at 17:00 (SAST).
Pirates XI: Chaine (Dladla 46’), Sibisi (Seema 46’), Mbokazi, Van Rooyen (Mashiolane 62’), Hotto (Ndaba 62’), Mbatha (Selepe 62’), Mbule (Dansin 46’), Dlamini (Kimvuidi 62’), Appollis (Moremi 62’), Mofokeng (Maswanganyi 62’), Radiopane (Mbuthuma 62’).
SOURCED FROM ORLANDO PIRATES WEBSITE.
