Soweto giants Orlando Pirates are the champions of South Africa’s top flight Betway Premiership after defeating Orbit College 2-0 on Saturday at the Mbombela Stadium.
Needing a victory on the final day of the campaign against a team battling relegation, the Bucs made the crucial breakthrough on an own goal in first half stoppage time before moving out of reach courtesy of another own goal early in the second half.
Orbit College goalkeeper Sabelo Nkomo attempted to make a play on a corner kick into his box just before halftime, but after being challenged his punch went back towards his goal and past a group of defenders for the opening goal.
In the 50th minute, defender Ndumiso Ngiba’s attempt to intercept a pass into his penalty area ended with his clearance attempt looping over a helpless Nkomo for the second goal.
Pirates have now broken a nine-season stranglehold that Mamelodi Sundowns held on the league. The Pretoria-based club, who will attempt to become African club champions in the second leg of the CAF Champions League on Sunday, had won ten of the last eleven league titles.
But after an extended period of dominance that saw them regularly pull away from the rest of the league in recent seasons, Sundowns met their match in the form of a rebuilt Bucs team. 21-year-old Relebohile Mofokeng continued his positive development and the additions of Tshepang Moremi and Oswin Appollis completed a powerful midfield unit for Pirates supported by central midfielders Thalente Mbatha and Makhehlene Makhaula.
Combined with pace on the flanks as well as a mix of experience and talent in the defense, the formula was established for one of South Africa’s traditional heavyweights to return to the summit. After a brief stumble in February that saw them lose to Sundowns followed by a shock Nedbank Cup penalty shootout defeat to second-tier club Casric Stars, the Bucs went unbeaten over thirteen matches to secure the title.
It is Pirates’ 10th top flight title and their first since the 2011-12 campaign. The last club other than Sundowns to win the title before this season was now defunct Bidvest Wits, who won at the conclusion of the 2016-17 season.
They and Sundowns will represent South Africa in the CAF Champions League next season while Kaizer Chiefs will compete in the CAF Confederation Cup following a third place finish. Chiefs will be joined by Nedbank Cup winners Durban City in the Confederation Cup.
On the other end of the table, Orbit College’s defeat means they will be directly relegated to the second-tier Motsepe Foundation Championship as the last place finishers. Magesi FC defeated Richards Bay in another match played on Saturday to keep their top flight hopes alive, moving out of last place into the relegation playoff spot.
Magesi will compete with Cape Town City and Milford FC from the Motsepe Foundation Championship in a three-team playoff with the top finisher playing in next season’s Betway Premiership.
