Orlando Pirates are back at home for one last time in their 2025/26 Betway Premiership campaign when they host a season-defining encounter against Durban City at Orlando Amstel Arena this Saturday.
Headlining the penultimate round of fixtures in what has been a captivating battle for Premiership supremacy is another sell-out affair at the famous Arena with the Buccaneers running out at home for the last time this season. The stakes are as high as they have ever been with the result of their battle against the men from KwaZulu-Natal set to go a long way towards deciding the destination of the league title.
Expectations are mounting ahead of the encounter which features the two sides that have already gotten a taste of domestic silverware in the ongoing season, with one of them still in the race for the last trophy on offer.
The Opposition
Fresh off their first cup triumph, City have their sights on a top-eight finish on their return to the Premiership. That could be a guarantee should they pick up maximum points on their trip to Soweto.
The Durbanites are currently seventh in the standings and could finish as high as the top four with participation in continental football next season already secured through their Nedbank Cup final triumph against TS Galaxy earlier in the month. That cup victory however remains a rare bright spot in an otherwise disappointing run of results, where they have failed to register a win in their last six league games.
They head to Orlando on the back of three consecutive draws, having recently shared the spoils with the relegation-threatened Orbit College as well as top-eight rivals Siwelele and Stellenbosch, respectively. The mission this weekend will be to do one better in what is their final away fixture of the season with the aim of ending a winless streak that has spanned close to two months.
Doing so will require a sharp turnaround in fortunes on the road, where they only have a single point to show in their last four matches. Having visited 14 of their 15 league rivals, City have emerged on the losing side in half of those encounters while only managing three wins.
They face a daunting trip to Gauteng with no fresh injury concerns reported, while on-loan midfielder Kyle Jurgens will likely return to the match day squad after having to sit out the clash against his parent club, Stellenbosch.
Bucs Team News
Saturday could end with Pirates having one hand on the title, should they clinch another crucial three points at home. Their path towards the big prize was made less complicated in midweek when Mamelodi Sundowns – their only remaining title rivals – dropped points in a shock defeat away to Galaxy.
Tuesday night’s events have left the Buccaneers just three points off the summit with goal difference overwhelmingly in their favour with two games left to play. The mission here on will be to continue keeping up their end of the deal, as they have done so via back-to-back wins that have inched them towards what has been their most elusive domestic title in recent years.
Key to the Buccaneers’ title charge has been establishing somewhat of a fortress at home, where they have collected 32 of their 65 points thus far. They have been especially ruthless at Saturday’s venue, which has hosted all but three of their home fixtures with only five of a possible 33 points dropped.
With a festive atmosphere locked in for their final home fixture, they have another chance to delight the Bucs faithful with a win that will place them back at the top of the standings – almost guaranteeing the end of a long wait for league glory. They might have to do it without at least one midfield option in Masindi Nemtajela, who is on the mend after missing out on Pirates’ recent trip to Polokwane through injury.
Head-to-Head
Pirates claimed a comfortable 2-0 win on their visit to Durban City earlier in the season, with Evidence Makgopa and Patrick Maswanganyi both finding the net. This remains the only fixture between the two sides since the KZN outfit’s rebrand and relocation from Pietermaritzburg.
Prior to that, the Buccaneers had enjoyed a dominant spell in the fixture, winning 10 times in the decade preceding their opponents relegation in 2023. They only suffered three league defeats in this period, with seven of the 20 matches played failing to produce a winner.
Their supremacy against City has also seen them claim the lion’s share of the 35 goals scored in this spell, netting 23 times while only conceding 12.
TV Coverage and Ticket Info
Kick-off is at 15:00 with the fixture set to be televised live on SuperSport PSL and SABC 1. You can follow the action by keeping an eye on live updates posted across Orlando Pirates social media channels as well as the Match Centre on the Club’s official website.
Tickets to attend the match are sold out and none will be available for purchase at the match venue.
SOURCED FROM THE CLUB’S WEBSITE.
