2 March 2011
Orlando Pirates grabbed a couple of late goals to defeat Maritzburg United 3-1 on Wednesday and take a three-point lead in the South African Premiership title race.
Midfielders Tlou Segolela and Zambian Isaac Chansa rescued the ‘Buccaneers’ after relegation-threatened Maritzburg had weathered an onslaught to equalise soon after half-time via Namibian Rudolph Bester.
Ajax Cape Town, level on 46 points with Pirates before the seven-match midweek drama unfolded, lost 2-0 at Wits University but clung to second place as Kaizer Chiefs only drew 0-0 away to Vasco da Gama on Tuesday.
Mamelodi Sundowns cruised to a 2-0 away victory over bottom-of-the-table Mpumalanga Black Aces and are still in contention, five points behind Pirates with seven rounds left in the race for a 1.4-million-dollar first prize.
Pirates have a habit of keeping their supporters on tenterhooks with Thulasizwe Mbuyane equalising three minutes into stoppage time against Chiefs last Saturday in a Soweto derby watched by a 90,000-plus crowd.
And just when Maritzburg thought they were going to escape from Orlando Stadium in Soweto with an unexpected point, Segolela gave Pirates the lead for a second time and then set up Chansa for the third goal.
The only South African team to lift the African Champions League, the ‘Sea Robbers’ dominated the opening half and striker Ndumiso Mabena headed them into the lead nine minutes before the break.
South Africa World Cup striker Katlego Mphela claimed his third goal in two matches to seal success for Sundowns after former Newcastle United midfielder Matthew Pattison had edged the visitors ahead in north-east city Nelspruit.
Wits bounced back from a weekend mauling by Sundowns to score in each half through Sifiso Vilakazi and Sifiso Myeni in Johannesburg and dent the championship ambitions of Ajax.
Another club to put a heavy weekend loss behind them were title holders SuperSport United as they won 3-0 win against second-last Moroka Swallows at Loftus Versfeld, home of Super rugby union champions Northern Bulls.
Liberia captain Anthony Laffor scored in each half for United — who have been nearer the bottom than the top of the table throughout this season – and Ethiopian Fikru Lemessa completed the rout six minutes from the end.
While Aces appear doomed to go down with just three wins from 23 matches, once-formidable Soweto club Swallows must climb one place before the season ends in May to dodge relegation play-offs.
2010 AFP
