Orlando Pirates continue sailing smoothly in the Betway Premiership after beating AmaZulu 2-1 at the Orlando Stadium on Friday night.
This is thanks to a Mohau Nkota first-half brace, steering the Bucs ship up the log standings with 15 points, ahead of Mamelodi Sundowns, who are on 12 points with a game in hand.
Sundowns will have to play catch up, as they travel to Limpopo to face Polokwane City at the Old Peter Mokaba Stadium on Sunday afternoon.
The stakes were high for both teams going into the game, as Pirates were looking to maintain their perfect start to the season and to move up the log standings.
For AmaZulu co-coaches Arthur Zwane and Vusumuzi Vilakazi, the stakes were even higher, as they were in desperate need of a result following the club’s dismal winless start to the season.
Usuthu are currently languishing right at the bottom of the table with zero points after four matches. Pirates coach Jose Riveiro started with the same team that beat SuperSport United midweek, which saw Nkota getting his second consecutive start of the season.
The Buccaneers did not have the best of starts, as they lost Deano van Rooyen through an injury and was stretchered off the pitch. He was replaced by Paseka Mako.
However, in the 30th minute, the buzzing Orlando crowd witnessed something special, as Nkota produced a wonder strike and left a fully stretched Richard Ofori on his near post from the edge of the box with no chance.
It was his first senior goal in Bucs colours, which saw him run straight to celebrate with his coach Riveiro and the entire bench.
It did not take long for the 19-year-old Nkota to get his brace against the run of play, as starlet Relebohile Mofokeng set him up and he beat Ofori at close range.
It suddenly became a Nkota show, as the teenager was close to getting his hat-trick, but his effort struck the woodwork.
The home side picked up from where they left off in the first half, as they continued to dominate the game, with Nkota squandering a several chances that could have gotten him with a memorable hat-trick.
AmaZulu, on the other hand, despite struggling most of the match, Pule Ekstein got a consolation goal in stoppage in time.
However, it was not enough as Usuthu suffered their fourth straight defeat in the league – leaving Zwane and Vilakazi with something to ponder.
