A busy week kicks off for Orlando Pirates when they welcome Richards Bay for a Betway Premiership clash at the Orlando Amstel Arena on Wednesday night.
The Natal Rich Boyz are the first of two visitors to the venue this week, and present a tricky challenge for the Buccaneers as they look to close out two thirds of the ongoing season perched at the summit of the league standings.
The visitors meanwhile have their sights set on their own landmark with the campaign approaching the final stretch.Â
This all adds up to a captivating match-up as football returns to Orlando, setting the stage for another compelling league encounter.
Surprise packages
As one of last season’s biggest surprise packages, Richards Bay are again one of the hopefuls for a coveted top-eight finish and are not too far from achieving the feat for a second season running.
They are currently placed in ninth place while a win on Wednesday could see them enter the season’s last 10 fixtures among the teams placed in the top half of the table.
The Natal Rich Boyz are fresh off a crucial home win against Kaizer Chiefs, and will be eyeing another big Soweto scalp that could stretch their current unbeaten run to three matches.
They are back on the road following a crushing defeat on their last away outing, where they were completely outfoxed in losing 3-0 to Chippa United.
That result in East London underlined their recent struggles away from home, with their last league victory as visitors dating back as far as September last year when they held their nerve to edge Stellenbosch in a closely-fought encounter.
They have since collected just three points in their next five outings, only finding the net three times while conceding nine goals.
A top effort on both ends of the pitch will be required against the Buccaneers, and the likes of defender Thabani Zuke could be roped back into the match day squad to offer much-needed experience at the back while new signing Joel Madondo is among those eyeing a first appearance for the club.
Bucs Team News
Currently in second place in the race for the league title, Orlando Pirates can ill-afford a slip-up as they head into their clash against the KwaZulu-Natal outfit.
They are separated from top-ranked Mamelodi Sundowns by three points, but do have Wednesday’s match in hand over Masandawana.
Their mettle was tested in their most recent fixture – a nail-biter that was decided in its dying moments when Patrick Maswanganyi provided the decisive touch which secured three crucial points in a 2-1 win away to Polokwane City.
It’s a result that took Orlando Pirates’ overall win tally to 14 matches while maintaining their ranking among the teams with the best attacking records as well as outright leaders in terms of defensive solidity with only eight goals conceded in 19 matches.
Now returning home following back-to-back outings on the road, the Buccaneers have another proud record to safeguard as one of only three teams averaging over two league points per home game.
They have amassed 21 points in Soweto so far courtesy of seven wins, and are determined to put the memory of their most recent home outing behind them and restore their iconic homebase to the fortress it’s proven to be for the best part of the season.
Their mission has been boosted by the availability of the in-form Kamogelo Sebelebele, who is eligible for selection after sitting out the trip to Polokwane through a one-match suspension.
Midfielder Sipho Mbule is meanwhile back in contention for a place in the match day squad after a brief spell on the sidelines.
Head-to-Head
In a little over three years since their first meeting, Orlando Pirates and Richards Bay have delivered a number of tight contests.
The Buccaneers narrowly got over the line in their two most recent league encounters, winning 1-0 in each to complete their first double over the Natal Rich Boyz.
Through that feat, the Soweto giants took their win tally in the fixture to three having only lost once and played to two stalemates.
The last of these victories also happened to be their first home win against the KwaZulu-Natal outfit, whose sole victory occurred at the iconic venue in Soweto.
The two sides are yet to produce a flurry of goals with only five scored in the six previous fixtures. Orlando Pirates are well ahead in that regard having found the net four times while only conceding once.
TV Coverage and Ticket Info
The match is scheduled to kick off at 19:30 and will be broadcast live on SuperSport PSL.
Tickets to attend the fixture are available for purchase online on OpenTickets as well as selected outlets nationwide.
Prediction
Orlando Pirates 2-1 Richards Bay