Orlando Pirates will play their second match of the year against Magesi FC at the Orlando Amstel Arena this weekend.
The Buccaneers played to a goalless draw against Sekhukhune United this past weekend, which saw them fail to regain top spot from Mamelodi Sundowns.
The Brazilians extended their lead to three points following their win against the same team Pirates failed to beat. Although Abdeslam Ouaddou’s men have two matches in hand, they will feel less confident going into the Magesi FC match.
Dikwena tsa Meetse are looking for a rare win to climb out of the relegation zone.
When will Orlando Pirates play Magesi?
The Buccaneers play their first home match of 2026 against Magesi FC at the Orlando Amstel Arena on Saturday evening (31 January). Kick off is scheduled for 18:00 and the match will be televised on SuperSport channels.
A win for Ouaddous’ men will see them level on points with Sundowns; however, a big margin win will see them back on top with a game in hand. A draw of defeat could see them slip to third if Kaizer Chiefs win on Wednesday.
With the Buccaneers out of the CAF Champions League, the focus is solely on the Betway Premiership and the Nedbank Cup.
Against Magesi, Orlando Pirates are expected to go all out, with Relebohile Mofokeng and Oswin Apollis expected to start. Ouaddou could also add Tshepeng Moremi in the starting eleven, which could see the team go for broke and force Dikwena tsa Meetse to defend the entire match.
The Buccaneers are favourites to win on Saturday but Downs’ perfect start to 2026 might put pressure on them. Against Sekhukhune, they dropped valuable points and allowed the likes of Downs and Kaizer Chiefs to catch up and potentially overtake them.