Orlando Pirates dropped valuable points once again after being held to a frustrating 1-1 draw by Cape Town Spurs in their DStv Premiership encounter played at the Orlando Stadium on Wednesday night.
The result means that the Buccaneers have now dropped five points against Spurs this season after losing their first-round match last year.
Pirates coach Jose Riveiro fielded a relatively similar team that faced Polokwane City at the weekend, with in-form striker Evidence Makgopa given a rest while defender Olisa Ndah missed out due to suspension.
His opposite number, Ernst Middendorp, made one change to that team that stunned TS Galaxy with a 2-0 victory.
It took the Buccaneers as early as the 12th minute to find the back of the net, when teenage sensation Relebohile Mofokeng showed his class once again after he broke the Spurs defensive line and beat goalkeeper Neil Boshoff following a sublime pass from Thalente Mbatha.
The goal did, however, open the game up, and the visitors could have made an immediate response, but striker Ashley Cupido failed to connect with the ball at close range after a well-worked cross from Asenele Velebayi.
Going into the second half, Spurs came out with more intent and kept on banging on the Pirates door as they continued to cause trouble for the Bucs defence.
Both coaches made some changes as they introduced fresh legs to try and influence the game and find the next goal.
Indeed, the next goal came, but it was the visitors who netted the equaliser through new signing Gabriel Michael, who scored a delightful goal from a similar position as Mofokeng and left a fully stretched Sipho Chaine with no chance.
Both teams continued to take the game to each other as they created goal scoring opportunities, but it was not to be as they could settle for a point apiece.
The Sea Robbers will now focus their attention on their eagerly anticipated Soweto derby clash against Kaizer Chiefs on Saturday.
