Orlando Pirates can stretch Betway Premiership log lead

Orlando Pirates continue their hunt for more Betway Premiership points when they host Siwelele at the Orlando Amstel Arena on Saturday, 14 March.

The famous Soweto venue provides the setting in the second of back-to-back home fixtures for the Buccaneers, who enter the decisive third of what has been a tightly-contested league campaign.

They will be attempting to steer well ahead of the chasing pack as they go toe-to-toe with a Siwelele outfit that has rarely given much away in recent weeks.

Mamelodi Sundowns, with whom Orlando Pirates are tied atop the standings on points, are not in league action this weekend.

The objective remains unchanged for the hosts as they go for maximum points against a side keen to build momentum of their own ahead of the crucial phase of the season.

Tough start in the top flight

Since turning their fortunes around following a tough start to life in the top flight, Siwelele have ascended slowly up the table and currently find themselves in a tight mid-table battle for a spot in the top eight.

The men from Bloemfontein have fought their way from being positioned in the relegation zone in the opening third of the season, rising up to 11th place where they are currently a win away from entering the top half of the table for the first time since the third match day.

They have proven to be a resilient unit over the past few months, only landing on the losing side just once in their last 11 league outings.

Despite this, Siwelele have made a habit of sharing the spoils and have only one win to show in their ongoing unbeaten streak which currently stands at six matches.

Their draw-heavy record includes stalemates in their two away matches played in 2026, while home fixtures against TS Galaxy and Stellenbosch have yielded a combined four points.

Travelling has been an Achilles heel throughout the campaign for the Free State outfit, and they head to Soweto having suffered a total of five defeats with only three goals scored in nine matches on the road.

Siwelele will likely make the trip to Orlando without injured attacker Tebogo Potsane, who missed their most recent fixture after he was stretchered off early during last month’s win against TS Galaxy

Bucs Team News

Orlando Pirates are meanwhile locked in what is one of the tightest title races in recent memory as they set their sights on another three-pointer that will provide breathing space between themselves and defending league champions Mamelodi Sundowns.

A single goal separates the two teams at the top, with the Buccaneers placed at the summit following a gritty 2-0 win over the visiting Richards Bay in midweek.

The victory was their third in a row and their 15th overall, taking their points tally to 47 in 20 league matches.

Maintaining their enviable defensive record, Orlando Pirates also collected their 14th clean sheet in the league this season with all eight of their home league wins secured without conceding.

They could further underline their ranking among the teams with the best home records this season with a win that will also see them crack the 50-point mark under the points column for the fourth consecutive season.

In their race to the finish line, Orlando Pirates could be boosted by the likes of Kabelo Dlamini and Sihle Nduli, who continue to make strides in recovering from injuries that have kept them out of action.

Head-to-Head

The rivalry between Orlando Pirates and Siwelele only stretches back to the start of the ongoing season. The two sides met once in the Betway Premiership before clashing in the Carling Knockout less than two weeks later.

Both fixtures produced their fair share of drama with the Buccaneers emerging victorious through last-gasp goals on both occasions.

An 80th minute strike from Oswin Appollis handed the Soweto giants all three league points in Bloemfontein in the first ever meeting between the two sides.

Defender Mbekezeli Mbokazi produced a similar decisive moment in their most recent clash, securing a quarter-final berth in spectacular fashion in the game played in Soweto.