Orlando Pirates’ path to a second trophy of the season and a fourth successive knockout competition victory appears to be a fairly easy one after they were drawn to play against Richards Bay FC in the Carling Knockout quarterfinal.
The Buccaneers, winners of the season-opening MTN8 trophy which they were defending having won it and the Nedbank Cup last season, are the only ‘big’ team left in the competition that produced shock results in the first round.
Consummate victors over Cape Town City on Friday, Pirates should be favourites to edge out Kaitano Temnbo’s team although the Durban Rich Boys will be somewhat confident they can pull the rug from under the favourites’ feet having accounted of the other Soweto giants in Moroka Swallows Sunday afternoon.
The draw will see the cities of Durban and Polokwane hosting the matches as Pirates are away and AmaZulu host neighbours Golden Arrows. Sekhukhune United host Ts Galaxy at the Peter Mokaba Stadium while Polokwane City will be at home in the old Peter Mokaba Stadium against Stellenbosch FC.
City earned their place in the quarterfinals with a resounding 4-1 victory over SuperSport United Sunday with Oswin Appollis APPOLLIS being in imperious form against his former club.
The 22-year-old who played just five official matches for his former club, being loaned out to AmaTuks and then later joining Pretoria Callies prior to joining Rise and Shine, scored the opening goal and created the third for brace hero Hlayisi Chauke.
City scored twice in each half as they played a fantastic match that saw them solidly defending their goal but more importantly being clinical on the other end of the field.
They scored the two goals via Appollis as well as Rodney Mapangule to send Gavin Hunt seething as he went to the dressing room from whence he returned having made a couple of changes.
Phathutshedzo Nange cheaply gave possession away in the middle from which City opened the scoring. Ndumiso Mabena sent Appollis sailing on the left side and the forward did well to control and then slot the ball through Ricardo Goss’ goal. Siyand Xulu made a desperate, lunging clearance but the ball has already crossed the line and the visitors were on their bike.
But as SuperSport looked to restore parity, Mapangule scored his first ever professional goal with a somewhat lucky shot from just inside the box as City’s persistence saw them fashion a chance when SuperSport appeared to have their goal protected. Mapangule’s low shot which he appeared to have scuffed found its way through a bunch of players in front of Ricardo Goss.
Then in the second half, Chauke helped himself to a brace – the first goal being a sitter that he actually scored with his shin after he was sent through by Appollis. He had to work for the second though as he did brilliantly to go around Goss and then still shoot in to the empty net from a very awkward angle.
Hunt was left to rue his team giving away possession which almost always let to them conceding but there were also a few chances which they missed – SuperSport twice hitting the root of the upright and having chances miss the target by inches.
Terrence Dzvukamanja’s fantastic goal late in the match which saw the Zimbabwean volley home was but just a consolation that will quickly be forgotten.
The dates for the quarter-final matches will be announced at a later date.
@Tshiliboy