Orlando Pirates' Carling Knockout journey came to an end after a penalty shoot-out loss to Richards Bay FC on Saturday afternoon.
Surprisingly not a lot of changes showed from the Buccaneers loss to Cape Town Spurs, but recalled NkosinathI Sibisi and Monnapule Saleng with Olisa Ndah and Thabang Monare dropped.
The versatile Abel Mabaso looked to get one over his former club earlier on after finding a stray ball, but he failed to unsettle Pirates goalkeeper Melusi Buthelezi.
Pirates began to have the lion share of chances thereafter and a smart drop of the shoulder wide of the area by Saleng ended with a curling shot that shaved the far post.
The Natal Rich Boys sat deep and forced the Buccaneers to go out wide and find the third-man runs of Saleng, Thembinkosi Lorch and Kermit Erasmus.
Saleng went close again when he ran wide of the area to get on the end of a first-time pass and draw goalkeeper Philasande Manqele to a smart close-range save with a rasping shot.
Pirates were on the attack again on the cusp of halftime, as Deon Hotto’s snap shot from a goal-mouth tussle bounced off the post.
It wasn’t an easy opening to the second half for the Buccaneers, who needed timeous interventions from Sibisi and Timm to keep the Natal Rich Boys at bay.
Richards Bay remained with the ascendancy in the second stanza in which a teasing ball from quick bit of play forced Buthelezi out of his area to thwart Yanela Mbuthuma.
No goals came before full-time as the Buccaneers removed Lorch much to an unhappy crowd and introduced Ndabayithethwa Ndlondlo, leaving the match to a period of extra-time.
Pirates started the brighter of the two in extra time where a cross-cum shot right of target by Patrick Maswanganyi got Manqele in a spot of bother.
Not a lot separated the sides with the deadlock still elusive and a penalty shoot-out was needed to settle the match.
It was a disappointing start in the shoot-out for Pirates, where Hotto missed the first kick and left the host convert all their five kicks for the win as well as a place in the semi-finals.
Confirmed line-ups:
Richards Bay: Manqele, Mabaso, Mthethwa, Komane, Mabua, Mcineka, Dlamini, Gumede, Miya, Ntsundwana, Mbuthuma
Subs: T.Mthembu, Dube, Mabokgwane, M.Mthembu, Mohlamme, Mhlongo, Mabuya, Mngomezulu, Mohomi
Orlando Pirates: Buthelezi, Xoki, Sibisi, Shandu, Hotto, Timm, Maswanganyi, Lorch, Saleng, Erasmus, Makgopa
Subs: Ofori, Ndah, Monyane, Monare, Kimvuidi, Ndlondlo, Otladisa, Mofokeng, Lepasa
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