Orlando Pirates advanced to the semi-finals of the Nedbank Cup following an entertaining 4-2 win over AmaZulu on Saturday evening.
The suspension of Tapelo Xoki granted Innocent Maela to return for the Buccaneers who crushed Golden Arrows last Saturday, while Victor Letsoalo and not Augustine Kwem led attack for Usuthu.
Following a delayed start, Pirates were inches off the lead on three minutes as last week’s hat-trick hero Tshegofatso Mabasa saw a telling shot from close-range cleared off the goal-line.
Letsoalo turned up though a minutes apart and overcame Maela’s challenge to snap a low cross from the left of the area wide of the bottom-corner.
Usuthu continued to push up and hit the front when a loose clearance in the defensive half of Pirates fell straight to Hendrick Pule Ekstein who blasted in the near post around the half-hour mark.
The host didn’t were in control, but were pegged back before halftime when Patrick Maswanganyi guided Veli Mothwa in the opposite direction from the spot after a foul on Makhehlene Makhaula.
Dlamini steered the Buccaneers in 12 minutes after the break when he lined-up right on the area for a free-kick and drilled in the bottom-corner.
The lead didn’t last long as former Cape Town City skipper Taariq Fielies clawed level after he made use of his aerial presence in the box to nod in a free-kick.
Pirates looked to the bench to effect control and had Miguel Timm sacrificed for January signing Thalente Mbatha in the latter periods.
Makhaula put one over his former club seven minutes from time when he side-footed in the bottom-corner following a cutback from a free-kick.
Pirates added a fourth goal in added after Maswanganyi played a quick one-two following a counter and fired in the bottom-corner to bring the tie to a close.
Confirmed line-ups:
AmaZulu: Mothwa, Sikhakhane, Hanamub, Fielies, Mphahlele, Mobara, Motshwari, Moremi, Letsoalo, Mbanjwa, Esktein
Subs: Mbanjwa, Ngobeni, Jooste, Gumede, Ngema, Human, Mulenga, Kwem, Dion
Orlando Pirates: Chaine, Hotto, Maela, Sesane, Maswanganyi, Makhaula, Timm, Lebitso, Mofokeng, Dlamini, Mabasa
Subs: Mpontshane, Mbatha, Mthethwa, Kimvuidi, Kapinga, Ndlondlo, Saleng, Lepasa, Monyane
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