Orlando Pirates clinched their second major trophy of the season after second-half goals from Daine Klate and Isaac Chansa saw them ease to a 3-1 victory over BidVest Wits in the Telkom Knockout final in Durban on Saturday.
The Buccaneers, who won the MTN8 in September, opened the scoring in the third minute through Thulasizwe Mbuyane, to lead 1-0 at the break.
Sifiso Myeni levelled matters just after the hour mark, but with 19 minutes remaining Daine Klate managed to put the Soweto giants back in front after a fine left-footed finish.
Isaac Chansa then scored close to the end to seal a win that will feel even more special, considering they were beaten by the same opponents and exact scoreline in a league encounter three weeks ago.
They set the tone from the outset at the Moses Mabhida Stadium, by going in front after less than 180 seconds.
Mbuyane virtually walked the ball into the net after Benni McCarthy and Klate cleverly worked the ball into the box from the left side.
The goal rocked the Students, but to their credit they poured forward in search of instant redemption.
Goal in sight
But they were caught out on the break by Ndumiso Mabena, who should have scored in the 10th minute after he stole the ball away from Mbulelo Mabizela, skinned the former Bafana Bafana defender for pace and rounded Energy Murumbadoro, only to shoot wide.
Myeni then had the first real sight of goal for Wits but took too long to pull the trigger as the game maintained an attacking flow.
Just before the half-hour mark, Pirates did have the ball in the back of the net again following more classy footwork from McCarthy, but this time Klate’s strike was ruled out for off-side.
The veteran South Africa striker himself wasted a golden chance to extend the lead in the 33rd minute after another howling error at the back. Siboniso Gumede gifted the ball to McCarthy on the left but the shot was curled past the far post from inside the penalty area.
Moments before the break, Sifiso Vilakazi had the best chance for Wits but glanced a header centimetres wide with Moeneeb Josephs stranded, while Klate forced Murumbadoro to dive to his right and catch a shot in injury time following another classy flick by McCarthy.
It was 1-0 to Pirates at the break and after the restart, Roger de Sa’s men came out strongly.
The cherry on top
Vilakazi failed to connect cleanly under pressure from six-yards out after Ryan Chapman drove the ball in from the right.
With the hour mark looming, Klate wasted an excellent chance to double the advantage when he miscontrolled on the left after Mabena’s crafty pass, while his skipper Lucky Lekgwathi would have also scored had he not headed straight at Murumbadoro.
And those two misses proved costly as Wits drew level in the 65th minute when a cross from the right was only half cleared and fell to the back post where Myeni was waiting to blast home.
Six minutes later Pirates were back in front after a smart finish from Klate, who shaped to cross from the right side of the box, but cut inside cleverly before unleashing a powerful left-footed strike that wrong-footed Murumbadoro.
And Chansa added the icing on the cake in the 83rd minute when he finished confidently after substitute Tlou Segolela’s mesmerising run down and pass from the left found the Zambian close to the penalty area. — Sapa