Chaine saves the day as Pirates book Nedbank Cup semifinal spot

In a match that could have left defending aficionados unimpressed, Orlando Pirates weathered the storm during 120 minutes and penalty shoot-outs to book a place in the Nedbank Cup semifinals. 

Nothing fancy, but it was a business-like performance by the Buccaneers who prevailed 5-4 on penalties over SuperSport United in Polokwane and they are on course for a third successive Nedbank Cup final and the treble. 

They could not be separated after 120 minutes where United scored through Terrence Dzvukamanja and Gape Moralo and Pirates found the back of the net thanks to Mbekezeli Mbokazi and Evidence Makgopa. 

It all came down to the lottery of penalties and Pirates came out on the other side smiling after successful kicks by Deon Hotto, Tapelo Xoki, Makgopa, Patrick Maswanganyi and Goodman Mosele. 

Phillip Ndlondlo was denied by Ricado Goss. 

United scored from the spot through Lebohang Maboe, Bradley Grobler, Nyiko Mobbie and Oratilwe Moloisane, while Vincent Pule and Christian Saile were denied by Sipho Chaine. 

It was an exciting match, but during their postmortem United coach Gavin Hunt and his Pirates counterpart Jose Riveiro will focus on the defence because all four goals during regulation time were due to defensive mistakes. 

For Mbokazi and Makgopa’s goals, the United defence of Nyiko Mobbie, Siyabonga Ndebele and Ime Okon forgot the basics of defending and were duly punished. 

Pirates’ defence was also in disarray and poor communication between goalkeeper Chaine and Xoki allowed Dzvukamanja to level matters. 

For the goal that took this match to extra time, Paseka Mako was skinned by Gape Moralo inside the box. 

Riveiro started with teenager Mbekezeli Mbokazi, 19, who continued to impress in his second appearance, Siyabonga Ndlozi, 22, Relebohile Mofokeng, 20, and Mohau Nkota, 20. 

But they had the experience of Chaine, Xoki, Mako, Makhehleni Makhaula, Hotto, Thalente Mbatha and Makgopa. 

Riveiro notably left Deano van Rooyen, Maswanganyi, Mosele and Tshegofatso Mabasa on the bench and when he introduced them in the second half, they could not influence more goals. 

United went with the tried and tested of Goss, Mobbie, Gamphani Lungu, Maboe, Siphesihle Ndlovu and Dzvukamanja with experienced campaigners like former Pirates players Thulani Hlatshwayo and Pule, Saile and Grobler on the bench. 

United tested Pirates inside the opening minute when Lungu‘s snap-shot forced Chaine to react quickly as Pirates were still trying to organise themselves inside the box. 

United created most of the notable early chances, one of them after 27 minutes where Enoch Quaicoe’s shot went wide of the upright. 

A few minutes later, poor decision-making and lack of composure by Makgopa and Mofokeng left the suspect United defence off the hook. But they got it right later and from an unlikely source in teenager Mbokazi, who found himself unmarked in the box to rifle home a shot that gave Goss no chance. 

United pulled one back from Dzvukamanja, who benefited from poor decision making by Chaine and Xoki. 

Drama was not complete as United defence failed to deal with a threat from Pirates and that ended with Makgopa putting the ball in the net on the stroke of half time. 

Pirates looked set to win inside 90 minutes but Gape Moralo dribbled past Mako deep during injury time to extend the match into extra time, where Pirates got their penalties spot-on. 

It is back to the grind for Pirates as they turn their attention to the league, where they are away to Stellenbosch in Cape Town on Tuesday, while United will have a breather because they were supposed to play Royal AM on Wednesday.