Betway Premiership defending champions Orlando Pirates started their new season on a high after a hard-fought 2-0 over newcomers Milford FC at the Orlando Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
The win was a strong message from the Buccaneers to the other teams in the league, indirectly saying that “catch us if you can”. Bafana Bafana star Oswin Appollis opened the scoring for the Buccaneers in the first half after his free-kick was deflected into the net, wrong-footing the Milford goalkeeper. Tshepang Moremi grabbed the winner and gave Bucs all three points on offer on the stroke of full time.
For new kids on the block, Milford played well and fought gallantly, and they look like a well-trained and well-coached outfit. They are going to surprise a lot of teams if they continue to perform in that manner.
The supporters tried to bring some life to the match with the famous Viking Row, which we witnessed during the FIFA World Cup by the Norway fans, signalling their excitement at the arrival of Norwegian striker Sebastian Pedersen.
Inasmuch as the Buccaneers started the season better than they did previously with three points in the bag, coach Abdeslam Ouaddou will have some slight concerns with how they approach their next game against Durban City in the MTN8 this coming weekend.
There were, though, some positives Ouaddou will take out from the game, such as managing to keep a clean sheet, two of his important players Appollis and Moremi getting on the scoresheet and four of his debutants displaying convincing performances in front of their new home supporters.
And also, young midfielder Camrin Dansin pulled a man-of-the-match performance with his confidence on the ball and showed signs of someone who could be a key player for Ouadou this season.
For Milford coach and chairman Xanti Pupuma, after that confident performance against the reigning champions, he must have left the stadium with pride and nothing much to worry about and may just survive relegation, as premature as it may sound.
Kudos to the league for also commemorating all the 36 teams who formed part of the PSL for the past 30 years and no longer exist.
Right before kick-off, the flags of teams like Santos, Bidvest Wits, Vasco Da Gama, Bloemfontein Celtic, Moroka Swallows, Free State Stars, Mpumalanga Black Aces, amongst others, were displayed inside the pitch in celebration of 30 years of the PSL.
- Orlando Pirates, defending Betway Premiership champions, won 2-0 against newcomers Milford FC at Orlando Stadium.
- Oswin Appollis and Tshepang Moremi scored for Pirates, securing a strong season start.
- Milford FC showed promise with a well-coached and competitive performance despite the loss.
- Pirates coach Abdeslam Ouaddou noted positives such as a clean sheet and strong debut performances but has concerns ahead of their MTN8 match.
- The PSL commemorated 30 years by displaying flags of former teams before kickoff, honoring the league's history.
