Orlando Pirates Continue Dominance in Top 8 Competition With Victory Over Mamelodi Sundowns

Orlando Pirates Continue Dominance in Top 8 Competition With Victory Over Mamelodi Sundowns

Byron Pillay
updated at October 7, 2023 at 8:32 PM
In this article:
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  • Orlando Pirates defeated Mamelodi Sundowns on penalties to continue their dominance in the MTN 8
  • Sundowns had numerous chances to take the lead in the game, but couldn't find the back of the net
  • The Buccaneers have now won the Top 8 title for the sixth time in the Premier Soccer League era

Orlando Pirates are the champions of the MTN 8 in 2023.

The Buccaneers won the title on penalties after the game ended 0-0 after extra time.

Orlando Pirates' Sipho Chaine celebrates.
Sipho Chaine was the star of the show as Orlando Pirates defended their MTN 8 title. Image: @ShakesRampedi.
Source: Twitter

The final, played at the Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban, was a hard-fought affair with many talking points.

Sundowns had two brilliant chances to win the game, as Peter Shalulile and Themba Zwane missed great chances, and they also had a goal disallowed for offside after Junior Mendieta scored late in the second period of extra time.

Going into the game, the Buccaneers were already the most successful team in all versions of Top 8 competition and extended their record with the victory over the Brazilians.

The win also saw Jose Riveiro’s men win three cup finals in a row and defend their MTN 8 title.

Mokwena furious with the referee's call

Mamelodi Sundowns coach Rulani Mokwena was visibly upset after the match referee failed to award his side a penalty in extra time of the MTN8 final on Saturday night.

It was a fight to finish at the Moses Mabhida Stadium as the fierce encounter lived up to its billing, with both teams matching each other in all departments.

Sipho Chaine had brought down a Sundowns player in the penalty box, but the referee signalled for a freekick against Sundowns, Sports Brief reported.

Peter Shalulile misses easy chance

Sports Brief earlier reported that Mamelodi Sundowns striker Peter Shalulile has built a reputation for being a lethal striker but sadly couldn’t live up to it in the MTN 8 final.

Sundowns were taking on defending champions Orlando Pirates in the final at Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban and should have had a lead at halftime.

Shalulile had the best of the chances to put his side in front, as he missed a header in front of an empty net.

Authors
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Byron Pillay
Byron Pillay is a sports writer and Head of the Department at Sports Brief (joined in 2022) with over 10 years of experience in community journalism and a degree in journalism from Caxton's Cadet School.
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