Orlando Pirates‘ journey in the Carling Knockout continues, though not without a scare, after they secured a narrow 1-0 victory over Siwelele FC in the first round clash at the Orlando Stadium on Saturday.
The decisive moment came courtesy of a late strike from captain Mbekezeli Mbokazi.
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As the clock ticked perilously close to the 90th minute, with extra-time looming, Mbokazi took matters into his own hands.
Collecting the ball in midfield, the skipper unleashed a powerful, superb strike from distance in the 87th minute.
The goal was the only one of the match, sealing the Buccaneers’ progression and underlining their growing reputation as South Africa’s modern-day cup specialists. This victory marks their tenth consecutive win across all competitions.
A Gesture of True Sportsmanship
Despite Mbokazi’s match-winning heroics, it was winger Oswin Appollis who was voted Man of the Match and awarded a R100,000 prize check. However, in a beautiful display of humility and sportsmanship, Appollis immediately vowed to share his winnings with his goal-scoring teammate.
Speaking to SuperSport after the tense encounter, Appollis was quick to praise Mbokazi’s contribution. “What a brilliant goal from Mbokazi,” Appollis said. “To be honest, I think he deserved [the Man of the Match award] more today, because he was fighting and defending.”
He confirmed his generous intention, adding, “No, I’ll definitely have to cut because what a goal. I’ll definitely share with him.”
Looking Ahead
Reflecting on the hard-fought game, the Bafana attacker acknowledged the challenge. “It was difficult today but we knew that we would get a chance.
Like I said, what an amazing goal. Congratulations to the bench, the whole team fought today. We are happy that we got the victory.”
The victory means Ouaddou’s side, currently sitting third on the Betway Premiership standings behind Mamelodi Sundowns and Sekhukhune United, will advance to the quarter-finals.
Their next challenge will be against Magesi, who dispatched AmaZulu 3-2 at the iconic Moses Mabhida Stadium.