By virtue of what appeared to be an offside goal by Thembinkosi Lorch, Orlando Pirates defeated Venda Football Academy, the first division team from Limpopo, in a rather fortunate manner and advanced to the Nedbank Cup quarterfinal.
As Harold Ndlovu in the Venda Football Academy (VFA) goal advanced, Lorch lobbed the ball over him, however it appeared that he was offside when substitute Evidence Makgopa flicked over what appeared to be a hopeful punt from deep in the Pirates half.
Although the assistant referee did not raise his flag, Pirates were able to avoid what was quickly starting to resemble a potential banana skin with the penalty shootout looming huge.
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Not that you’d have foreseen the match getting to the stage that it did, given that the home side had had it fairly easy in the initial stanza and were good value for their 1-0 lead which could so easily have been more.
Following an excellent build-up in which Monapule Saleng sent a long ball across the field to find Deon Hotto open on the left flank, they scored their first goal through the effort of Kermit Erasmus.
The short Erasmus directed the exquisite cross from the Namibian that fell between the VFA goalkeeper and the defender downward and into the goal.
That should have been Pirates’ second goal, though, as Hotto had a chance to score after being a part of a great connection on minute 11.
Miguel Timm also missed a good chance when he shot inches over from the penalty box arc.
The Limpopo Motsepe Foundation League team made some incursions into Pirates territory while they engaged in a rearguard conflict and even made a score threat.
On minute 27, Sipho Chaine appeared to be beaten as Rudzani Thobo headed unmarked from inside the box, but he could only manage to reach the sidenetting.
On minute 33, Edmore Chirambadare was given access to the right side of the penalty box and attempted to score for the visitors, but Chaine saved his shot.
The lower division team returned from the half motivated, and they were amply rewarded when Chirambadare scored the equaliser four minutes into the second half.
Given that Hotto inexplicably elected to cut across his own goal after gaining control in defence, the goal was more of a gift. But since he advanced the ball too far, Chirambadare pounced and forced Chaine to sweep the ball out of the goal.
With the score level again, VFA began to play more confidently, but Pirates continued to pose a threat, with replacement Terence Dzvukamanja forcing Harold Ndlovu to make a close-range two-footed saving.
A Thembinkosi Lorch corner appeared to be on its way when Ndlovu blocked the ball at his near post shortly after that.
Then, after 69 minutes, Thapelo Xoki successfully cleared the ball off the line as Thobo headed the ball goalward from a corner kick.
Ndlovu was about to advance when Pirates launched a counterattack, and Lorch shot above him, but his attempt ricocheted against the upright.
After that, the game dragged on with very few real chances being generated till Lorch finally scored, albeit from what appeared to be an offside position.
