Radiopane and Appollis fire Orlando Pirates to another win over Sekhukhune

Orlando Pirates strengthened their grip on the top spot in the Betway Premiership with a 2-0 win over Sekhukhune United FC at the Orlando Amstel Arena. The Buccaneers avenged their first-leg loss to Babina Noko in the MTN8 semi-final, marking their second consecutive triumph over the latter side. Orlando Pirates claimed their tenth point of the season, garnering a total of 10 points from their opening four matches.

Boitumelo Radiopane, who was not on the field for most of the match, scored the opening goal in the 36th minute, showcasing his skill by maneuvering past his defender before scoring in the bottom corner of the net. After the break, Oswin Appollis added a second goal in the 62nd minute, assisting the ball into the net with Buthelezi being the sole defender.

The victory highlighted a well-managed performance from Appollis, who usually only plays full matches after representing Bafana Bafana at the World Cup. The encounter was the second between the sides in four days, reaffirming Pirates' dominance over Sekhukhune, who found it difficult to create clear opportunities. The teams will meet again in the third leg of the MTN8 semi-final next Saturday, with Sekhukhune coach Cedric Kaze eyeing a potential advantage by rotating his squad.

However, these changes did not impact Pirates' overall structure and control of the game, leading to another clean sheet. Sekhukhune coach Cedric Kaze saw another loss against the same opponent, despite his team's recent improvements.