League football is back at Orlando Stadium this weekend as Orlando Pirates renew rivalries with Stellenbosch. This exciting Betway Premiership fixture takes place on Sunday afternoon and headlines the weekend’s action.
Following their continental adventures, the two teams mark their return to South African shores with an exciting match-up. It marks their return to Premiership action after both last featured in the competition in the first week of November.
Form Guide
Mixed fortunes greeted the two sides in midweek as they embarked on CAF interclub football. The Buccaneers began their Champions League group stage campaign, while Stellies also kicked off theirs in the Confederation Cup.
It was the Soweto Giants who emerged the happier of the two after producing a gritty performance on the road to defeat Group C rivals CR Belouizdad 2-1 in Algiers. The result extended their winning streak across competitions to five matches, continuing a fine start to the 2024/25 season.
The league is where they have been especially impressive as they go into Sunday’s fixture with no points dropped in their first seven games. They currently top the standings, separated by three points from second-placed Mamelodi Sundowns.
Pirates go in search of three more points against a Stellenbosch side coming off a disappointing outing in midweek. The Cape Winelands outfit travelled to Mali for their Confed Cup Group B assignment which they lost 2-0 to Stade Malien.
It has now been three matches without a win for Steve Barker’s men, whose best result in November was a league stalemate at home to TS Galaxy. Despite recent disappointments across competitions, they have maintained fourth place in the Premiership with 12 points earned in their seven fixtures.
Kicking off the new month with a trip to Soweto, they will be eager to overturn their fortunes as well as become the first team to deny the Buccaneers maximum points this season.
Team News
The visitors announced another addition to their playing personnel ahead of the fixture. Nigerian defender Enyinnaya Godswill has joined the club on a free transfer and is tipped for a December debut.
Meanwhile, attacker Lehlohonolo Mojela could soon return after close to two months on the sidelines. The 28-year-old last featured in the MTN8 final against Pirates and has been nursing a knee injury.
The Buccaneers landed back in the country with no new major injury concerns and have a few players approaching a return to action. Thabiso Lebitso and Sandile Mthethwa are among those approaching their first Premiership appearance this season along with Thuso Moleleki, who has just returned from a short layoff.
Key Players
Mohau Nkota (Orlando Pirates): The Bucs Academy graduate has wasted no time justifying his promotion to the first team, already proving to be an influential figure early in his career. Armed with blistering pace and powerful left boot, Nkota is coming off another match-winning display and will be high in confidence heading into the game in Soweto.
Fawaaz Basadien (Stellenbosch): Fresh off making his international debut, Basadien earned his graduation to top honours through a string of top performances in maroon. The 27-year-old has been a solid presence at the back, while his impact at the other end of the pitch is reflected through consistent goal contributions.
Head-to-Head
While renewing rivalries in the league for the first time in the ongoing campaign, the two sides have already locked horns. A 3-1 win at Moses Mabhida Stadium handed Pirates a third straight MTN8 title when they met Stellenbosch earlier in the campaign. It was courtesy of goals from Monnapule Saleng, Tshegofatso Mabasa and Relebohile Mofokeng who all helped overturn a 1-0 deficit.
It was a welcome victory for the Buccaneers, who had conceded a league double in the previous season when they lost 1-0 on the road before going down 3-2 at Orlando Stadium. That sequence of events helped tip head-to-head results slightly in favour of The Maroons, who have emerged on the winning side four times in 10 league fixtures. Only three of these encounters have been won by Sunday’s hosts, while three have finished in a stalemate.
The latter result also happened to be the Buccaneers’ first defeat against Stellies in Soweto, where they still maintain a positive record with two wins and as many draws in five games played.
TV Coverage and Ticket Info
The match kicks off at 15:30 and will be broadcast live on SuperSport PSL. Live updates will be provided across Orlando Pirates social media platforms.
Tickets to attend the match are available online at TicketPro as well as select outlets nationwide.
