Orlando Pirates make a trip back to the Old Peter Mokaba Stadium for midweek league action, paying a visit to Polokwane City for a crucial Betway Premiership clash on Wednesday night.
Points are again on the line with the season approaching its final stretch, and the Buccaneers are among the few clubs with an eye on the big prize come the end of the season. They face a dogged adversary in the Limpopo outfit, who have more than proven their credentials since their reintroduction to the top tier of South African football.
Both sides emerge from the high of derby wins over the weekend, and now halt their celebrations to shift attention to what is another demanding task as the league reaches its boiling point.
The Opposition
After back-to-back finishes in the top half of the Premiership standings, Polokwane are again placed within the top eight with only a dozen fixtures remaining in the ongoing campaign. They were victorious over the weekend, beating city rivals Magesi 2-0 in their derby fixture played at Sheshego Stadium.
That result brought them up to seventh place in the standings and they could move up to fifth with a similar outcome against the Buccaneers.
While the majority of their seven wins have come on the road, Rise and Shine remain one of just two teams yet to suffer a league defeat at home this season. Consistent wins have however eluded them in the matches they have hosted, with only a third of their nine games finishing in victory.
They host the Soweto Giants while on a run of four consecutive draws in their own backyard, where goals have also been somewhat of a scarcity with only eight scored so far.
They will be missing a key midfield orchestrator in Ndamulelo Maphangule, with the player suspended for one match after he was cautioned in the Polokwane Derby.
Bucs Team News
Back at the summit of the standings, Pirates head to their midweek fixture with three points high on the agenda. A win on Wednesday helps create breathing space between them and second-placed Mamelodi Sundowns with the two teams currently separated by a single goal.
The Buccaneers reclaimed top spot rather spectacularly on the weekend, netting three unanswered goals against fierce rivals Kaizer Chiefs in the Soweto Derby. That emphatic result was their 13th league victory, placing them ahead of the pack under the wins column, while the three goals netted made them the second most prolific goal-scorers in the league this season.
They also hit the 20-point mark on the road, courtesy of six wins to go with the two stalemates that make it an impressive eight away games since last suffering defeat as visitors. Pirates also boast the best defensive record in the Premiership, with only seven goals conceded throughout their campaign.
Ahead of their midweek assignment, the Soweto Giants will have to do without the services of one of their standout performers from the derby victory in Kamogelo Sebelebele, who is ruled out through suspension after picking up his fourth yellow card of the season. There is however sufficient cover on the right side of the defence with Deano van Rooyen, Thabiso Lebitso and Bandile Shandu all available.
Head-to-Head
Pirates head to Polokwane after collecting back-to-back victories against the same opponent during the first half of the ongoing season. They cantered to a 2-0 MTN8 quarter-final victory at the Orlando Amstel Arena in their season opener before a hard-fought 1-0 league win at the same venue just two months later.
With those two results, the Buccaneers have made it five games since they last conceded a goal to Rise and Shine with four of those occurring in the league. They boast an even longer Premiership unbeaten streak against the Limpopo outfit, having won 10 of the last 17 games between the two sides with the other seven finishing level.
Polokwane’s last and only three-pointer against Pirates dates back to their first-ever season as a top flight outfit, when a solitary goal from Sipho Jembula guided them to a home victory. It has since been one-way traffic, with the Soweto Giants currently enjoying a run of five consecutive away wins in the fixture.
TV Coverage and Ticket Info
The match is scheduled to kick off at 19:30 and will be broadcast live on SuperSport PSL. Live updates will be provided across all Orlando Pirates social media channels.
SOURCED FROM THE CLUB WEBSITE.
