Mbekezeli Mbokazi scored a screamer in the dying stages to send Orlando Pirates to the second round of the Carling Knockout as they beat Siwelele 1-0 at the Orlando Stadium in Soweto on Saturday.

Mbokazi extended Pirates unbeaten run to 11 games in all competitions, as the starlet’s legend continues to grow.

Buccaneers coach Abdeslam Ouaddou made only one change to his starting side that defeated TS Galaxy 2-0 on Tuesday, with Oswin Appolis returning to replace Kamogelo Sebelebele in the line-up.

Siwelele made six changes to their side that ended a seven-game winless streak on Sunday, including at goalkeeper, with Samkelo Xuli coming in form Ricardo Goss.

Pirates were awarded a penalty in the third minute as Keabetswe Khonyane brought Evidence Makgopa down in the Siwelele box. The striker missed the opportunity to bag his second penalty goal in as many games, hitting the right-hand upright.

The Buccaneers had another early opportunity from a set piece in the 11th minute after Makgopa was brought down again, this time on the edge of the area. Tshepang Moremi’s effort, however, could not find the target.

Siwelele had a set-piece chance of their own in the 16th minute. Gape Moralo’s cross found Samir Nurkovic at the back post, but the striker’s header went narrowly over the bar.

In the 26th minute, Pirates broke on the counter with Oswin Appolis, who found Relebohile Mofokeng down the right side of the pitch. However, the youngster’s cross could not find any of his teammates arriving in the box.

 

Mofokeng’s 35th minute cross went over the head of Xuli, towards Appolis but Makgopa took the ball away from him and the chance came to nothing.

Grant Margeman tried his luck from distance in the 40th minute and had Sipho Chaine scrambling, but the ball went just wide of the left upright.

In the 41st minute, Makgopa spotted the run of Moremi into the box, finding him with a perfectly weighted pass, but the winger’s effort went wide of the target, squandering another great chance to take the lead.

Christian Saile showed his place to beat Mbokazi on the counter in stoppage time and fired a shot from the edge of the area, but Chaine made the save comfortably.

Deon Hotto nearly broke the deadlock before the halftime whistle but his freekick along the ground was stopped by a diving Xuli.

In the 52nd minute, Moremi’s cross was spilt by Xuli, but the goalkeeper managed to recover the ball before any Pirates players could reach it.

The visitors had a chase on the counter attack in the 73rd minute through substitute Chibuike Ohizu, who found himself one-on-one with Mbokazi, but could not beat the defender in the Pirates box.

The Buccaneers began to create more chances in the last quarter of an hour. In the 76th min, Appolis found substitute Kamogelo Sebelebele in the box, but his shot was routinely saved.

Fellow substitute Tshegofatso Mabasa also could not convert from close range in the 78th minute as he could not make proper contact with the ball, resulting in an easy save for Xuli.

Pirates finally broke the deadlock in the 87th minute through the unlikeliest of scorers, as Mbokazi unleashed a rocket from distance, finding the top right corner with a spectacular strike.

Orlando Pirates (0) 1 (Mbokazi 87’)

Siwelele 0

Orlando Pirates: S. Chaine, L. Seema, M. Mbokazi, T. Lebitso, D. Hotto, S. Nduli (A. Mariko 46’), M. Nemtajela, R. Mofokeng (K. Sebelebele 62’), O. Appolis (S. Mbule 79’), T. Moremi, E. Makgopa (T. Mabasa 62’)

Siwelele: S. Xuli, G. Moralo, K. Khonyane (P. Sanoka 66’), Y. Mfolozi, A. Baliti, T. Potsane, T. Makhele, G. Margeman, S. Zwane (V. Pule 63’), C. Saile (G. Lungu 77’), S. Nurkovic (C. Ohizu 63’)