Orlando Pirates completed a convincing 3-0 win over Eswatini’s Royal Leopards, making it two wins in as many games over their neighbours at Orlando Stadium on Sunday night.
Having piled on the goals in the reverse fixture against the Swazi champions, the hosts sought to do the same on home soil, but met a determined Swazi outfit.
Their surges into the visitors half were first thwarted as early as the first minute, with Kwame Peprah denied with the first push up field as his shot at goal was kept out by keeper, Ncamiso Dlamini.
The Leopards goalkeeper continued to be the thorn in the hosts’ flesh, denying Fortune Makaringe from close range.
The first half ended with the Buccaneers well on top in terms of possession, but effecting a change on the scoreboard.
The second period is when the goals started flowing, starting from a long-range shot from Fortune Makaringe, who after receiving the ball from close to the touch line, spotted Dlamini off his line and sent the ball into ten back of the net for the opening strike.
It would only take until the 57th minute for the Bucs to add to their lead when Kabelo Dlamini was played in by Goodman Mosele, who displayed a great deal of skill to release his fellow midfielder, who made it 2-0 inside an hour of play.
Terrence Dzvukamanja got a taste of the action just 20 minutes from full-time, as he didn’t have to wait long after coming on to add his name to the scoresheet, pushing the contest way out of the visitors’ reach with a goal or his own.
There was a further opportunity for the Zim international, who was hauled back by the offside flag two minutes after his goal, and that chance was followed by a close call from Makaringe, who came narrowly wide from close range.
In the end, the Buccaneers scored a convincing win over the Swazi champions, sliding up the Group B standings once more with two tough fixtures on the calendar.
Pirates XI: Ofori (GK), Nyauza (C), Ndah, Mako, Shandu, Mosele, Monare, Dlamini, Makaringe, Hotto, Peprah (Dzvukamanja 46’).
