Bucs progress to the Nedbank Cup quarter-finals

Orlando Pirates needed an extra time goal to beat Venda Football Academy 2-1 and progress to the quarter-finals of the Nedbank Cup.

It was the third-placed DStv Premiership and third-bottom Motsepe Foundation Championship team when Pirates took on Venda FA at Orlando Stadium.

Jose Riveiro made three changes from the team that beat Swallows 4-1 last week. Nkosinathi Sibisi, Ndabayithethwa Ndlondlo and Kermit Erasmus were back in the starting line-up replacing Sandile Mthethwa, Makhehleni Makhaula and Terrence Dzvukamanja.

Pirates controlled the match in the opening minutes of the match but failed to beat the Venda FA defence. But the Buccaneers managed to break deadlock on the 23rd minute when Monnapule Saleng played a diagonal pass to Deon Hotto on the left. The Namibian played a perfect cross for Kermit Erasmus to head home the opening goal of the match.

But three minutes into the second half it was former Kaizer Chiefs striker, Edmore Chirambadare, who broke the Bucs’ hearts with a great equalizer. Hotto received the ball inside his own box and ran across the field, but his second touch was too heavy and it went straight to Chirambadare who stabbed the ball into the back of the net.

With 20 minutes remaining on the clock, Orlando Pirates, almost made it 2-1 when Thembinkosi Lorch broke through the Venda A defence and curled the ball into the upright.

With less than ten minutes remaining in extra time, Lorch won the match for Bucs when he ran between Venda FA defenders before lobbing the ball over goalkeeper Harold Ndlovu to make the score 2-1.

Pirates will join Mamelodi Sundowns, Dondol Stars, Sekhukhune United, Royal AM and Chippa United in the Nedbank Cup quarter-finals.

Matches between TS Galaxy and Stellenbosch and Kaizer Chiefs and Casric Stars will be decided on Sunday.

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