Yenze ezibukwayo i’Orlando Piratesvuthulule iRoyal Am ngamagowuli amane kwamabini emdlalweni weDStv Premiership obutshisa e’Orlando Stadium namhlanje ebusuku. IPirates ikhuphele umsindo kwiRoyal Am kakubi emva kokuquthiswa eDanie Craven Stadium emdlalweni obungempelaveki egqithileyo. Umqeqeshi wePirates, uJose Riveiro, uthe iqela lakhe liza kuyilungisa into eyenzeke eNtshona Koloni phambi komdlalo wanamhlanje. Kwenzeke ngqo lo nto. IPirates idlale kakuhle, idale amathuba ephinde yawasebenzisa. Iza kuya emdlalweni weMTN8 ngempelaveki ukuzithemba kuphezulu. UJohn Maduka uphoxwe ngabadlali bakhe abenze iimpazamo ezimbi kwisigaba sokuqala. Sibengcono kakhulu isigaba sesibini noxa iRoyal Am ibethiwe. Kuyiwe kwixesha lokuphumla iPirates iphala phambili ngamagowuli amathathu kwelinye leRoyal Am. Khange iqhelisele zisuka iPirates emdlalweni wanamhlanje.
Isukele iRoyal Am macala onke yenza iimpazamo. Ezimnyama zibhakuzelise umnatha kwangoko kwisigaba sokuqala somdlalo ngebhola efakwe nguZakhele Lepasa ngepenela evele emva kokuwiswa kukaPatrick Maswanganyi ephakathi ebhokisini. Iqhubele phambili iPirates nokudlala umdlalo omhle phambi kwabalandeli bayo e’Orlando Stadium. UNdabayithethwa Ndlondlo noThabang Monare balawule yonke into esiswini ngoba abadlali beRoyal Am bebeziintsalu umdlalo wayo ungadibani kakuhle. Emva kwwemizuzu embalwa, uMonnapule Saleng wenze adume ngazo ngethuba efaka igowuli elihle ngebhola ayinikelwe nguNdlondlo obeyinkathazo ebaleni. Uphinde wafaka elinye uLepasa – kodwa uHopewell Cele waphindisa ngokufaka igowuli leRoyal Am eyenze iinguqu zabadlali abane kwisigaba sokuqala ngenxa yeempazamo zabadlali.
Abuye kwisigaba sesibini esenomfutho amaqela. Kodwa kubekho umahluko omncinci kwiqela likaJohn Maduka. Emva kweenguqu azenze kwisigaba sokuqala, kubekho uzinzo kancinci nangona iPirates ibiseyiyo ehlasela kakhulu emdlalweni. Abalandeli bafumene umdlalo osemgangathwebi. Umdlalo kwisigaba sesibini uvelise amagowuli amabini. Emva kokuxhathisa kwisigaba sesibini, iRoyal Am iye yavuzwa ngegowuli elifakwe nguMxolisi Macuphu. Kodwa iphinde yongeza iPirates igowuli lesine elifakwe nguBandile Shandu. Emva kokuba iRoyal Am idlale ntanganye naMaZulu emdlalweni wokuqala wesizini, uMaduka ebekhangela into engafunqula ukuzithemba kwabadlali emdlalweni wesibini. Udibene nePirates ebingxwelerhekile emva kokubethwa siStellenbosch FC. Ekugqibeleni, iPirates ibethe iRoyal Am ngo’4-2. Komnye umdlalo wanamhlanje, iGolden Arrows ibethe iRichards Bay ngo’2-1 kwidabi lobukhaya kwiphondo laKwaZulu-Natal.
Ziyakhula iimpawu zembalela eMpuma Koloni