Orlando Pirates draw in preseason clash with Cypriot club

After an 0-2 defeat to Bolton Wanderers to begin their preseason preparations for the 2025-26 campaign, Orlando Pirates played to a 1-1 draw with Cyprus’s Pafos FC at the Marbella Football Center in Spain.

After a poor start that saw them concede inside the opening ten minutes, Relebohile Mofokeng’s 24th minute goal saw the Bucs equalize. The South Africa national team starlet got on the end of a wonderful pass from Ndabayithethwa Ndlondlo before holding off a defender to deliver a composed finish.

João Correia previously gave Pafos the lead in the 7th minute. The Cape Verde international produced a powerful finish to complete a deadly counter-attack from the Cypriot side after Pirates failed to take advantage of a set piece opportunity.

The early concession seemed to motivate Pirates, who created the lion’s share of opportunities from that point on. A flurry of chances around the 20th minute ended with Mofokeng’s equalizer.

A more disjointed second half ended with neither team able to score but the theme continued of Pirates looking like the more dangerous side. The Bucs are next in action on Thursday, July 17 when they face La Liga side Las Palmas.