Smiso Msomi
The battle between Orlando Pirates and AmaZulu will certainly go down as one of the games of the Nedbank Cup, if not of the 2023/24 season.
The Buccaneers sealed passage to the semi-finals with a pulsating 4-2 win over Usuthu at the Moses Mabhida Stadium on Saturday. Here, Smiso Msomi takes a look at five talking points from the AmaZulu and Orlando Pirates Nedbank Cup quarter-final.
Pirates’ cup pedigree rises to the top
The rise of Pirates as a force in cup competitions has seen them take part in some of the most memorable knockout encounters in recent seasons.
Their six-goal thriller against Usuthu was no different as they rallied from a goal down to seal a convincing victory under difficult circumstances. The club’s composure and know-how in high-pressure situations led the way as they managed a highly temperamental match to the end.
The ‘Tito’ factor
Patrick Maswanganyi has placed himself in the conversation for the coveted 2023/24 Footballer of the Season accolade with a string of fine performances throughout the season.
Nicknamed “Tito”, Maswanganyi has adjusted to life at Pirates with ease after his move from SuperSport United last season and is the first chair in Jose Riveiro’s orchestra. The new Bafana Bafana international influenced matters again against AmaZulu as he scored a brace to lift Pirates to victory while winning the player-of-the-match award in the process.
Officially unmatched
It has become a South African top-flight football thing that clubs bring up various issues surrounding the officiating standards.
The referee on the day, Masixole Bambiso, contributed once more to that notion as he came under fire from AmaZulu, who felt he had swayed the result Pirates’ way with a big penalty call. While the scoreline may be irreversible, the conversation rages on about Bambiso’s influence in deciding who prevails in the semi-finals of the Nedbank Cup.
Usuthu missed opportunities
The feisty nature and weakened defence of Pirates provided AmaZulu with the perfect opportunity to not only end their woeful record against them but also get closer to ending their 32-year trophy drought.
However, after the controversy, Usuthu missed valuable opportunities to either take the lead again or score a potential winner. The likes of Pule Ekstein and Tshepang Moremi terrorised the Pirates defence but let themselves down in the final third with a repeated failure to finish off moves.
Riveiro’s excellence and influence
The tactical prowess of Spaniard Jose Riveiro was again on full display from the get-go in this knockout encounter.
Pirates created three gilt-edged chances in the opening 15 minutes, and should have taken the lead as Usuthu struggled to deal with their 4-3-3 formation, one the Sea Robbers have rarely deployed this season.
In an effort to win the game with the scores level in the second half, Riveiro threw on Monnapule Saleng for forward impetus and Thalente Mbatha for midfield control. Those substitutions reaped rewards as Saleng assisted Makhaula for the third goal, while Mbatha ensured Pirates did not concede any more goals.