Orlando Pirates secured the South African Premiership title for the first time in 14 years with a 2-0 victory over Orbit College at Mbombela Stadium on Saturday, according to the match report. The win also ended Mamelodi Sundowns’ run of eight straight league titles.
Pirates went into the final game knowing a victory would crown them champions, while any other result would have handed a ninth straight title to Sundowns, who completed their season 11 days earlier because of a CAF Champions League scheduling conflict. Orbit College required a point to guarantee survival from automatic relegation regardless of the concurrent Magesi–Richards Bay result; Magesi, who had been bottom before kickoff, won 1-0 and ultimately escaped relegation.
The match saw Orbit defend deep from the start as Pirates mounted sustained pressure. Striker Yanela Mbuthuma led the line and pressed consistently. In the second minute Relebohile Mofokeng fed Tshepang Moremi for an early effort that went over and was marginally offside. Thalente Mbatha tested Orbit goalkeeper Nkomo in the ninth minute, and Mofokeng had long-range attempts in the 13th minute and again when a deflected shot grazed the outside of the post.
Oswin Appollis featured throughout the first half, providing a through-ball to Moremi in the 34th minute and combining with Mofokeng moments later, but Nkomo kept the game scoreless until stoppage time. In the fifth minute of first-half stoppage a corner saw Nkomo attempt to punch clear and divert the ball into his own net under pressure from Mbatha. Early in the second half another own goal followed when Ngiba turned a Mbatha pass into his own net.
Pirates controlled much of the second half and saw Mbuthuma miss a chance in the 66th minute. Orbit’s goalkeeper Nkomo produced a save from close range to deny Kamogelo Sebelebele in the 72nd minute but could not prevent the result. The victory condemned Pogiso Makhoye’s side to automatic relegation and confirmed Pirates as champions, according to the match report.
