On Monday night, Orlando Pirates will play SuperSport United at Lucas Moripe Stadium in Atteridgeville to round up their DStv Premiership campaign.
The match is the final game of the current season, and both teams must win convincingly on the day in order to achieve their respective goals.
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Following a dramatic draw away to Royal AM on Friday, the Buccaneers found themselves facing an uphill battle in their desire to compete in African club competition next season.
The point earned at Chatsworth Stadium was their fourth in their two games back in league football, and sees them placed sixth on the log with the potential to climb as high as third, provided that they score five unanswered goals in Tshwane.
The match against Matsatsansa comes during a period of inconsistent results for the Soweto Giants in the Premiership, with the club picking up just six points in their past five games, with all six of their goals coming in their last two games.
The hosts will come into the match with a lot of energy, having not played in over two weeks.
However, results have not gone their way in recent months, with only one win in their last five games, and only six points in their last five games.
Team News
There could be a return to the starting lineup for Bucs skipper Happy Jele, who started from the bench in Durban, while Vincent Pule, Thabang Monare and Paseka Mako all remain doubtful for the clash.
Ex-Pirates midfielder Kudakwashe Mahachi is almost certain to miss out on a start for United, following some off-field disciplinary issues.
Meanwhile, star goalkeeper Ronwen Williams could be the most notable absentee for the Tshwane outfit after being sidelined throughout the duration of the current month.
Key Players
Thembinkosi Lorch (Orlando PIrates): The attacking midfielder has been utilised in the pocket between the two centre-forwards in recent weeks, where he has been extremely effective, popping up all over the place on attack. On the backend of what has been a stop-start season for Lorch, he has chipped in with two goals and four assists in his last three games across competitions, underlining his importance to the Pirates cause.
Ghampani Lungu (SuperSport United): The Zambian utility player’s versatility has proven vital to the Tshwane outfit, who have utilised him as a centre-forward, along with playing him on either wing. Lungu has responded in kind, contributing with important goals and assists for his side and is no stranger to getting on the scoresheet against the Buccaneers, having done so as recently as two months ago.
Head-to-Head
It took a moment of absolute magic to separate the two sides in their last meeting, with Goodman Mosele’s injury strike sealing a 3-2 home win for Pirates back in March.
Home ground advantage has proven to be quite the decider in fixtures between the two Gauteng rivals, with the last victory by the away team dating back to November 2014.
It is therefore no surprise how evenly-poised the Buccaneers and Matsatsansa have been over the past two decades, with each winning 13 of their last 35 encounters, with the remaining nine ending deadlocked.
How to Watch Orlando Pirates vs SuperSport United
Kick-off is at 18:00, and the game can be streamed live on SuperSport PSL. Orlando Pirates will also provide live updates across the Club’s social media platforms.
A limited number of tickets have been made available for sale across all Computicket outlets nationwide. Fans will only be granted entry into Orlando Stadium after producing a valid South African ID or a passport, as well as proof of vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test no older than 72 hours, as per prevention protocols.