The Buccaneers were crowned Premier Soccer League champions on Saturday afternoon after a composed and dominant 2-0 victory over Orbit College at the Mbombela Stadium.

The Soweto giants edged out Mamelodi Sundowns by a single point to lift their fifth PSL Premiership title, bringing an end to a painful 14-year drought and sparking wild celebrations among the Ghost faithful across the country.

Pirates win the PSL for the first time since 2011/12 - Orlando Pirates

For Orbit College, however, it was a devastating afternoon. The North West outfit finished bottom of the standings and will return to the Motsepe Foundation Championship next season after their short-lived stay in the top flight.

Pirates arrived in Mbombela knowing exactly what was at stake, and they played with the urgency and hunger of champions from the opening whistle. The Buccaneers controlled possession, pinned Orbit deep inside their own half and created several dangerous opportunities during an intense first half.

The best early chance fell to Tshepang Moremi in the 33rd minute, but with only goalkeeper Sabelo Nkomo to beat, the winger blazed his effort high over the crossbar.

Pirates beat Orbit College FC 2-0 to clinch the title - Orlando Pirates

Despite Orbit’s resistance, the pressure eventually cracked the visitors’ defence. In a disastrous moment just before the break, Nkomo attempted to deal with a dangerous delivery under pressure from Thalente Mbatha, only to punch the ball into his own net to hand Pirates a crucial 1-0 lead.

The goal shifted the momentum completely and left Orbit with a mountain to climb.

Pirates came out firing again after halftime and doubled their advantage just five minutes into the second half. Orbit defender Ndumiso Ngiba inadvertently turned the ball into his own net as the Buccaneers continued to pile on relentless pressure.

The second goal sent the packed Mbombela Stadium into absolute chaos as Pirates supporters celebrated what felt like the moment their title dream finally became reality.

The Buccaneers continued to dominate the closing stages, although they failed to add further goals to the scoreboard. Orbit offered little going forward, and Pirates comfortably saw out the match to seal a famous victory and write another memorable chapter in the club’s rich history.

Pirates coach Abdeslam Ouaddou praised his players, staff and supporters after the final whistle, describing the achievement as a special moment for the entire Orlando Pirates family.

Abdes Ouaddou - Morgan Piek

“I think it’s a huge moment for the Orlando Pirates community and the fans. They have waited a long time — 14 years is a lot,” said Ouaddou.

“We have to give credit to the players for fighting to make the supporters happy. I’m thinking about all the Pirates lovers across South Africa tonight.”

The coach also applauded the club’s loyal supporters for standing by the team throughout a challenging campaign.

“Our fans were fantastic all season. It was not an easy campaign, but the players, the staff and everyone at the club worked incredibly hard. I’m a happy man because today we brought joy to millions of people.”

Ouaddou added that patience ultimately proved to be the key to their success.

“At the beginning of the season I asked people to be patient. Many teams dropped points during the campaign, but today you can see how important every single point was. Now we have the title and I’m very happy for the Orlando Pirates community.”

The win for the Soweto giants has also finally dethroned Mamelodi Sundowns after the Pretoria club won a record eight consecutive PSL titles. The Brazilians finished the season as the runners-up, but still have a shot at silverware on Sunday when they face AS FAR in Rabat in the second leg of the CAF Champions League.

Downs go into the decider with a 1-0 aggregate lead, and kick-off in Morocco is at 21:00.

Morgan Piek OFM Sport