Pirates keep title hopes alive as Sipho Chaine rewrites record books

Orlando Pirates kept the heat on Mamelodi Sundowns with a 3-0 victory over Magesi FC in the Betway Premiership on Saturday night at the New Peter Mokaba Stadium in Polokwane.

This result came just hours after Mamelodi Sundowns had survived a wild eleven-goal thriller against Siwelele FC, winning 7-4 to maintain their lead at the summit.

With this victory, the Buccaneers sit in second place with 65 points from 28 games, trailing the leaders by three points. Crucially, Pirates hold a game in hand and a superior goal difference of seven, meaning another win would see them leapfrog the defending champions into the top spot.

The evening was defined by early dominance and a historic individual achievement. Patrick Maswanganyi opened the scoring in the 8th minute after being played through by Evidence Makgopa, and the advantage was doubled just seven minutes later when Kamogelo Sebelebele found the bottom corner. The match was effectively put out of reach in the 60th minute as Oswin Appollis stepped up to convert a penalty after Mzwandile Buthelezi committed a foul in the area.

Chaine Rewrites PSL History as Pirates Close the Gap at the Top

The match served as a historic milestone for Sipho Chaine, who officially rewrote the PSL record books. By shutting out Magesi, Chaine recorded his 19th clean sheet of the campaign, surpassing the previous record of 18 set by Ronwen Williams during the 2022/23 season.

This achievement further solidified Chaine’s legendary status at the club, as he had already become the first Orlando Pirates goalkeeper in history to reach the 18-clean-sheet mark in a single PSL season just one week prior. His consistency between the posts has become the foundation of the Pirates’ title charge. In addition, Pirates have also reached 65 points in the Premiership—their best-ever points tally in any PSL campaign.

While the Soweto giants celebrated a massive step toward potential league glory, the mood was sombre for the hosts. The defeat leaves Magesi rooted to the bottom of the table with only two games remaining to save their season. Currently three points adrift of safety, their top-flight status hangs by a thread as they struggle to find the results needed to climb out of the relegation zone.

Pirates, meanwhile, appear to be hitting their peak at the perfect moment, with their defensive solidity and clinical edge making them the favourites to snatch the title in the final weeks of the season.