Bucs sail to final

Yanela Mbuthuma finally silenced his fiercest of critics among the Orlando Pirates supporters at the Orlando Amstel Arena yesterday, delivering two crucial assists as the Buccaneers sailed to their fifth consecutive MTN8 final after beating Sekhukhune United 4-0 on aggregate.

It was certainly Mbuthuma’s show in the first 45 minutes of this second leg tie as the former Richards Bay striker fed goalscorers Thapelo Mokobodi and Gamphani Lungu assists that saw Pirates comfortably going to the break leading 2-0.

Bucs right back Kamogelo Sebelebele completed the rout when he scored in the third minute of added time after linking up with substitute Tshepang Moremi.

Mbuthuma has been under pressure from some of the Bucs fans who don’t appreciate his hard work upfront, which includes setting up his team to attack with pace, especially after winning loose balls when the opponents attack. Mokobodi and Lungu’s goals came as Pirates were deep in their own half trying to defend against Sekhukhune, who were eager to find a goal after going 1-0 down in the first leg in Limpopo last week.

These goals came on the back of Pirates having missed a couple of sitters in the early stages in which Mbuthuma, Lungu, Oswin Appollis and Simphiwe Selepe came close to beating keeper Toaster Nsabata with their attempts.

But there was no denying Pirates when Mbuthuma crossed for midfielder Mokobodi to score his first goal since joining Pirates before the start of this campaign. Lungu, who also scored Pirates winner in the last 8 clash against Durban City at this stadium, gladly accepted Mbuthuma’s pass eight minutes before the break.

New players impress

What will satisfy Pirates coach Abdeslam Ouaddou about this victory is to see the new players adapting as quickly to playing for this club after replacing some influential players that include Relebohile Mofokeng and Patrick Maswanganyi, who’ve left for greener pastures overseas.

Other new players who started this match and continued to impress include defender Sibangani Zulu and central midfielder Mthetheleli Mthiyane who has come in for the injured Thalente Mbatha to play alongside Mokobodi and Selepe in Ouaddou’s engine room.

The second half was all about Pirates managing their lead, a task which was not made easy by Sekhukhune’s desperation to avoid a third successive defeat against Bucs in seven days as they also lost 2-0 to the Soweto giants in the Betway Premiership tie played at this venue on Tuesday night.

Pirates will now wait for the winner of the second semifinal between Mamelodi Sundowns and Lamontville Golden Arrows at the King Zwelithini Stadium in Durban today, with Arrows having the upper hand after winning the first leg 1-0 in Atteridgeville last Sunday.

Pirates’ lead afforded Ouaddou yet another chance to continue experimenting with the new players, with Boitumelo Raidopane, Simphiwe Masilela, Mpho Chabatsane and Mpho Padime among the new guns that were introduced after the hour mark.

The Bucs coach might as well do this as his team will be busy in the coming week with a league match away to PSL rookies Kruger United coming on Tuesday before they travel to Mauritius where they’ll face La Cure Sylvester in the first leg of the of the first preliminary round of the Caf Champions League.

For Sekhukhune coach Cedrick Kaze, who watched this match from the stands after getting a red card in the league match on Tuesday, it’s back to the drawing board as they attempt to resuscitate their league campaign when they welcome TS Galaxy in Limpopo on Saturday.