Orlando Pirates boost hopes of Africa football by beating Benni McCarthy’s AmaZulu

Orlando Pirates took a giant leap towards playing in Africa next season with a 1-0 win over AmaZulu on Thursday, 27 May.

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The Buccaneers, who need to finish in second place (they cannot win the league) in order to qualify for next season’s CAF Champions League or in third place for a CAF Confederation Cup spot, beat Benni McCarthy’s Usuthu at the Orlando Stadium thanks to a 76th-minute Gabadinho Mhango goal.

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Despite the win, Orlando Pirates remained in fourth place in the standings BUT closed the gap to second-placed AmaZulu to four points with a game in hand – and tied third-placed Golden Arrows on 46 points also having played one fewer match.

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On paper, Orlando Pirates’ remaining three matches are far easier prospects and offer the very real possibility of a further nine log points.

The Buccaneers will next be in action away to ninth-placed TS Galaxy (Sunday, 30 May at 15:00).

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That will be followed by another away match against eighth-placed Baroka FC (Wednesday, 2 June at 17:00) and they will conclude their season at home against 13th-placed TTM (Saturday, 5 June at 15:00).

Orlando Pirates supporters have been calling for coach Josef Zinnbauer’s head in recent weeks, but one wonders whether the gloom and doom around the Orlando Stadium will lift should the Buccaneers manage to snatch a coveted spot in Africa once again next season.

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