Mabasa and Mofokeng shine as Pirates sink Cape Town City
Tshegofatso Mabasa and Relebohile Mofokeng were the stars of the show as Orlando Pirates turned up the heat on Cape Town City, outwitting them 2-0 in a Premier Soccer League (PSL) match at Cape Town Stadium on Wednesday.
Mabasa bagged a second-half brace, with Mofokeng the provider for both goals. The win, Pirates’ first yet against City in the league away, boosted their chances of finishing second in the PSL and qualifying for the Caf Champions League next term.
He also increased his chances of winning the Golden Boot as he now has 13 goals. The first goal came in the 58th minute after Mofokeng brilliantly teed him up to outmuscle Lorenzo Gordinho before beating City goalkeeper Darren Keet with a low-driven effort.
The Pirates striker completed his double 14 minutes later with a tap-in, thanks to Mofokeng’s sweet pass inside the box.
City have now gone 11 games without a win across all competitions.
With influential playmaker Patrick Maswanganyi suspended, Pirates coach Jose Riveiro gave Lesedi Kapinga a rare start. It was Kapinga’s first league start since joining the Sea Robbers from Mamelodi Sundowns in July 2023. Pirates also missed industrious holding midfielder Makhehleni Makhaula through suspension.
City were dealt a huge blow when their key centre-back, Keanu Cupido, was forced off with an ankle injury in the 27th minute after an earlier challenge by Miguel Timm. Cupido was replaced by Patrick Fisher.
Both sides showed some urgency going forward but no clear-cut chances were created in the first half. Pirates had more half chances and box entries.
Most of Bucs’ attempts in the first period were aided by their dominance in the midfield, where Timm and Thalente Mbatha pulled the strings. The Bucs duo bossed their City counterparts, Luyolo Slatsha and Jaedin Rhodes.
Timm and Mbatha won most of the duels and their ball retention was decent at times, while City’s midfield pair struggled to keep possession.
The tempo was higher in the second period. City had a penalty shout when Pirates’ Deon Hotto touched the ball with his elbow a few minutes into the stanza, but referee Thando Ndzandzeka waved play on.
Pirates had lost three of their seven previous meetings with City away, with four draws.
