Pirates win Carling Cup final with weakened team

There was a big banner on the east side of this iconic venue mounted by Orlando Pirates supporters which read “Thank You TLB”.

This was a tribute by Bucs fans to departing star 20-year-old defender Mbekezeli Mbokazi who is joining Chicago Fire in the US’ Major Soccer League in January. They made the same gesture in Polokwane last Saturday when Pirates were crowned as Carling Knockout champions after beating Marumo Gallants 1-0 in the final.

Because of national duties which forced him to be with Bafana Bafana, where he got a tongue lashing from coach Hugo Broos for arriving late for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations training camp in Pretoria earlier this week, Mbokazi was not here to say his goodbyes to his home province supporters.

On the field Pirates’ coach Abdeslam Ouaddou was already plotting and planning Mbokazi’s replacement with his decision to bring in Nigeria’s left-footed central defender Olisa Ndah to play alongside Thabiso Sesane in a three-man defence that was completed by Lebone Seema — the player who has partnered Mbokazi the most in the Bucs’ line-up this season.

Both Sesane and Ndah are coming back from long-term injuries and this was a perfect game to test if they’ll be ready to help the team when the league resumes on January 20 after the completion of Afcon in Morocco.

Indeed Ndah and Sesane looked solid in this makeshift Bucs side which was weakened by 11 of their regulars being with Bafana. Playing against a select Carling All-Star team in this exhibition Carling Cup final, Pirates looked in control until they opened the scoring in the 68^th minute through one of their reserves strikers Sifiso Luthuli.

Luthuli produced a cool finish to lob the ball over the advancing All Stars keeper Naphtali Mokoena who plays for Kaizer Chiefs’ Dstv Diski Challenge (DDC) team where Luthuli also regularly features for Pirates’ junior squad.

Boitumelo Radiopane scored a beauty ten minutes from time after his solo run from the middle of the park to make sure Pirates finished the match as 2-0 winners.

Mbokazi may not have been here to be warmly embraced in what was strange wintry weather in Durban for this time of the year, but still it was a memorable send-off which also capped a year in which Pirates have already won two cup finals under new coach Ouaddou.