DStv Premiership Preview: Golden Arrows
15 February, 2022
Orlando Pirates resume their DStv Premiership campaign on Wednesday as they welcome Golden Arrows to Orlando Stadium.
A busy month continues for the Soweto Giants, who have another four fixtures scheduled in the second half of February.
Form Guide
Their return to domestic league football comes just days after a successful week of cup action, where they registered two victories in as many outings to kick off the year.
At present, the Buccaneers are enjoying a four-game winning streak across competitions while occupying second place in the DStv Premiership standings.
They will be looking to clinch their third straight victory in the league, with the aim of collecting as many points as possible in the remainder of the campaign.
Arrows, on the other hand, are currently nine points behind the home side, having played three less games.
Abafana Bes’thende currently reside in 10th place in the standings, and will want to break an unwanted streak of four straight draws in league football, while putting behind them another unfavourable outcome after being dumped out of the Nedbank Cup in their most recent outing.
Team News
First-Team coaches Mandla Ncikazi and Fadlu Davids have had a near full-strength squad to pick from since Pirates returned to the field, and that looks likely to continue with no significant injuries reported since the last fixture.
The Buccaneers had to navigate their last league game without two key defenders Happy Jele and Paseka Mako, who were both serving bans. The two players will be available for selection on Wednesday.
Meanwhile, Lesotho international Motebang Sera will be eyeing his first start for Arrows, having joined the club in the January transfer window.
Key Players
Thembinkosi Lorch (Orlando Pirates): After missing out of a large chunk of the early part of the season, Lorch looks determined to make up for lost time as he continues to produce quality performances each time he takes to the field. The 28-year-old was a key figure in the lead-up to both goals as Pirates beat Algeria’s JS Saoura in their CAF Confederation Cup outing on Sunday, and will look to continue in the same vein against Arrows.
Pule Mmodi (Golden Arrows): Man of the Match in a losing cause as his side crashed out of the Nedbank Cup, Mmodi will again be key for the visitors as they look to clinch a rare victory at Orlando Stadium. The skillful midfielder has been in good form throughout the season, and Arrows fans will hope to see more of the same on Wednesday night.
Head-to-Head
Stalemates have been the dominant outcome in this fixture over its last 10 instalments, with six games in this period finishing goalless, while the four matches that produced a result are evenly spread in terms of victories, with each side collecting two.
Pirates have had the upper hand overall, beating Arrows 17 times in 33 league games, while only suffering six defeats.
It is on home turf where the Buccaneers have been the most dominant, with 10 wins in 16 matches.
Meanwhile, the KwaZulu-Natal based outfit has only celebrated one victory at Orlando Stadium, which dates back as far as October 2015.
How to Watch Orlando Pirates vs Golden Arrows
The game will be broadcast live on SuperSport PSL (Channel 202), while you can also follow the action by keeping an eye on live updates across Orlando Pirates social media platforms. Kick-off is at 19:30.
