The match started at a breakneck speed, with play moving swiftly from one end of the field to the other as the two teams clearly set out with attacking intent. Chiefs created the better openings in the first quarter of an hour, with Senzo Meyiwa forced into sharp saves by Nkosinathi Nhleko and Knowledge Musona.

On 16 minutes Meyiwa was called into action again, but he deflected a dipping long range effort from Mandla Masango over the crossbar. By this stage the Amakhosi were well in control of the match and troubling the Buccaneers with their pace and movement, though, as against Mamelodi Sundowns in the semifinal, their final pass and finishing wasn’t quite as good as the build-up play. Chiefs were profiting through the middle of the park and easily cleaving through Pirates’ central midfield pairing of Josephy Kamwendo and Isaac Chansa, neither of whom looked proficient when trying to fulfill a holding role.

On 38 minutes Pirates almost took the lead against the run of play, with Chansa producing a pass for Bennett Chenene to run onto in the penalty area but Chiefs keeper Arthur Bartman moved quickly off his line to close down the angle. Four minutes later Meyiwa produced a good save, shifting his balance quickly to prevent an own goal from central defender Rooi Mahamutsa. Pirates reacted with a attack of their own and Bartman had to make a finger-tip save to deflect Dikgang Mabalane’s left-footed effort behind for a corner kick – it was the Buccaneers’ first shot on target in the match.

In the second half, Ndumiso Mabena found a shooting opportunity just inside the penalty area but his effort flashed just wide of Bartman’s right-hand post. Yet, with both sides clearly capable of creating scoring opportunities, the goal simply would not come and the game looked destined to end with the score line blank, as both Soweto derbies in the league had.

Pirates substitute Terror Fanteni almost broke the deadlock with his first touch in the 77th minute but his shot was superbly turned away by Bartman. Two minutes later Happy Jele got on the end of a free kick from the right flank to have a free header just a couple of metres from goal but he somehow failed to hit the target. The end of regulation time came and went with the score still 0-0 and the early stages of extra time saw Fanteni hit the crossbar after springing Chiefs’ offside trap and firing off a fierce shot.

As extra time progressed the poor level of finishing became almost comical. On one occasion Musona allowed the ball to run between his legs when given a clear sight of goal just a couple of metres out. Five minutes before the end of extra time, Pirates were reduced to ten men when Mahamutsa was red carded by referee Daniel Bennett, seemingly with one yellow card for a tug on Tshepo Bulu’s shirt and a second caution for back chatting.

The lack of finishing prowess didn’t bode well for the inevitable penalty shootout and so it proved for Orlando Pirates, as they missed their first three spot kicks while Kaizer Chiefs netted all of theirs to secure a 3-0 win and advance to the Telkom Knockout final against Ajax Cape Town on April 10.

Orlando Pirates 0


Kaizer Chiefs 0 – After extra time; Chiefs win 3-0 on penalties

Pirates: (4-4-2) Meyiwa; Jele, Mahamutsa, Makonese, Lekgwathi; Mabalane (Mothibantwa 120’), Kamwendo, Chansa, Chenene (Mongala 77’); Mashego (Fanteni 76’), Mabena.

Chiefs: (4-4-2) Bartman; Tau, Rooi, Isaacs, Masenamela; Masango (Bulu 87’), Nengomasha, Yende, Nale; Musona (Torrealba 108’), Nhleko (Mathebula 70’)

Penalty sequence: (Pirates shoot first) Jele misses 0-0, Torrealba scores 0-1; Fanteni misses 0-1, Mathebula scores 0-2; Mabena misses, Bulu scores 0-3. Chiefs win 3-0.