Defender Nkosinathi Sibisi is proving to be a vital cog in Orlando Pirates’ push to wrestle the Betway Premiership away from seven-time successive champions Mamelodi Sundowns.
The Bafana Bafana defender scored a second winner for Pirates in a league match this season — this time giving Jose Riveiro’s side a 1-0 win over Polokwane City at the Old Peter Mokaba Stadium in Polokwane yesterday.
His other league goal was away to Chippa United last month, where his header gave the Buccaneers another precious 1-0 win in their bid to catch up with Sundowns.
Sibisi’s strike against Polokwane was quite fortuitous, as the ball bounced off his feet and went in after goalkeeper Brian Bwire failed to handle Relebohile Mofokeng’s free kick in the 67th minute.
The goal came after Pirates had many chances in a lively match in which both sides were out to score.
“I think, once again, we did very well in a short space of time. This is a consequence of being competitive since day one,” Bucs coach Jose Riveiro said after the match.
The win draws Pirates closer to Sundowns, who are still 12 points ahead, having played three matches more than Bucs. But with Royal AM likely to be dismissed by the PSL in the coming week, Sundowns’ lead could be cut by three points as all the points gained against the troubled side are likely to be expunged.
Pirates were yet to play Royal AM and could catch up with Sundowns if they win all their games in hand.
In a bid to show appreciation to Riveiro — who leaves the club at the end of the season after three successful seasons in which he won three domestic trophies — Pirates players had to dig deep to win this match against a side that never stopped running and trying to upset them.
Pirates have a chance to add three more trophies, if they win the league, Nedbank Cup and Caf Champions League in their remaining two months of the season. Just three days after this victory, Pirates will play another crucial match when they welcome Algeria’s MC Alger in the second leg of the Champions League quarterfinal.
Though Pirates were playing away yesterday, they had 68% ball possession in the first half, showing their dominance against a team that was keen to catch them on the break, with Bafana winger Oswin Appollis posing most of the danger for the home side.
The creation of clear-cut chances is what Pirates lacked as they only had three shots on target in the first 45 minutes, with Mofokeng and Patrick Maswanganyi pivotal in their attacks.
There was little action in vital areas for Bucs striker Evidence Makgopa, who must have looked forward to this fixture, having scored a brace when they beat the Limpopo side 3-0 in Orlando in September.
It was Mofokeng who tested Bwire a couple of times in the first half. The Bucs attacker was particularly unlucky to see his touch missing the poles when he looked to finish off Mohau Nkota’s pass after a miscued clearance by a Polokwane defender.
Key to Pirates keeping a clean sheet, especially in the second half when Polokwane improved their attack, was teen central defender Mbekezeli Mbokazi, who played like a seasoned defender in outsmarting Appollis and Bonginkosi Dlamini.
The 19-year-old Mbokazi, who earned the man-of-the-match award, said playing with experienced defenders like Sibisi and Tapelo Xoki gave him a lot of confidence. “I always want to improve my game. It helps me to think about the game, and how I must improve in the next one.”
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