Orlando Pirates beat Bidvest Wits 3-1 to take the Telkom Knockout trophy in Durban on Saturday night.
In an entertaining match played at a rainy Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban, Bucs secured the trophy for the first time thanks to goals from Thulasizwe Mbuyane, Daine Klate and Isaac Chansa. Sifiso Myeni scored the Clever Boys’ consolation.
It was Pirates’ first Telkom Knockout victory; although they have appeared in seven League Cup finals over the years.
Bucs are the first team in PSL history to hold every PSL-sanctioned trophy at the same time. Pirates got off to the perfect start, opening the scoring in just the third minute.
Klate was the architect of the goal, turning inside Lehlohonolo Maselelsa before unselfishly squaring for Mbuyane to score one of the easiest goals he will ever notch up in his career.
After the goal, Bucs were more than prepared to sit back and try to catch their opponents on the counter attack.
They should have gone 2-0 ahead in the 11th minute, when Ndumiso Mabena latched onto a great pass from Benni McCarthy, rounded the goalkeeper, but in an atrocious miss hit wide of goal.
McCarthy was a troubling figure for the Wits defence, and just over 10 minutes before the break he stole the ball off Sboniso Gumede to be faced with only Energy Murambadoro to beat, but from a tight angle he skewed his shot wide of the far post.
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Klate also had a good effort as the half wound down, cracking a well-hit shot that forced Murambadoro into a sharp save.
Wits, despite shading ball possession, were not able to create many chances. Their best effort came in the 43rd minute with Sifiso Vilakazi’s glancing a header narrowly wide of the far post from Patrick Phungwayo’s cross.
The second half followed a similar pattern to the first until 65 minutes, when Wits captain Sifiso Myeni brought his side level at 1-1, firing a low shot through Josephs’ legs.
But just seven minutes later Klate put Pirates back on the path to victory, cutting inside from the right before crashing home a low left-footed shot that beat Murambadoro at his near post.
Bucs wrapped up the win on 83 minutes when substitute Tlou Segolela set up Chansa to make it 3-1 with a sweet finish from close range.
