Orlando Pirates booked their spot in the 2020 MTN8 final after they defeated Kaizer Chiefs 2-0 (5-0 on aggregate) at FNB Stadium on Sunday.
The Buccaneers had claimed a comprehensive victory in the semifinal first leg and made sure of a place in the tournament showpiece with a professional performance in the reverse fixture, thanks to goals from Fortune Makaringe and Linda Mntambo. Pirates will face Bloemfontein Celtic in the final, having reached the closing game of the top eight competition for the first time in six years.
Pirates, who are 2010 and 2011 champions of the competition, will now be hoping to end a trophy drought which dates back to 2014.
Chiefs applied all the pressure in the first half at FNB Stadium with Pirates happy to defend their lead and as the halftime whistle blew neither team had registered a single shot in anger.
The Amakhosi came close to finally breaking the deadlock through first-half substitute Siphelele Ntshangase in the 59th minute with the midfielder, who had replaced the injured Reeve Frosler, unlucky to see his attempt cannon off the woodwork.
Pirates would put the tie beyond any reasonable doubt seconds later as Makaringe poked home into an empty net. Deon Hotto raced clear of the Chiefs defence before driving a shot at Daniel Akpeyi but the Nigeria international could only succeed in palming the ball into the path of Makaringe, who was never going to miss with the goal at his mercy.
Chiefs were always in danger of conceding even more goals as they pushed numbers forward in attack and Mntambo duly doubled the Buccaneers’ lead in the 80th minute. Hotto had another decisive hand in the goal as he spotted the run of Mntambo who kept his cool to beat an isolated Akpeyi.
Lazarous Kambole missed a glaring chance to halve the deficit five minutes later as his search for a much needed goal continues before Mntambo stroked his chip attempt inches wide at the other end of the pitch with Akpeyi well off his line.
Chiefs’ day went from bad to worse as Erick Mathoho received his marching orders in the dying moments of the game, following a second bookable offence. In the end, Pirates were deserved winners over two legs as Gavin Hunt and the Glamour Boys enter the international break with a mountain to climb on and off the pitch.
Kaizer Chiefs (0) 0Orlando Pirates (0) 2 (Makaringe 59′ Mntambo 80′)TEAMS
Kaizer Chiefs: Akpeyi; Frosler (Ntshangase 29′), Cardoso, Mathoho, Sasman, Agay, Blom, Manyama (Kambole 63′), Parker (Ngcobo 78′), Billiat, Castro (Lesako 78′).
Orlando Pirates: Ofori; Jooste, Hlatshwayo, Nyauza, Maela (Mabaso 81′), Motshwari (Ndlovu 81′), Monare, Makaringe (Mntambo 71′), Pule (Mako 71′), Hotto (Makgaka 81′), Lepasa.© Backpage TXT.
SOURCED FROM THE PSL WEBSITE.
