AmaZulu sealed their place in next season’s MTN8 after holding Orlando Pirates to a 1-1 draw at the Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban on Saturday.
Usuthu confirmed their place amongst the best eight clubs in the country for the first time in three years, while the Buccaneers failed to win for the second time in three games.
Just as the match seemed to be heading towards a goalless draw, the game came to life after 60 minutes, Usuthu’s marksman Tshepang Moremi providing a moment of brilliance halfway through the second half to set up the goal for the hosts.
The 24-year-old attacker dribbled his way past numerous Pirates defenders before firing a shot towards Sipho Chaine’s goal, one that was in turn guided towards his own goal, much to the shock of the majority of the supporters.
That seemed to bring out some fight in Pirates, who then went on to equalise through up-and-coming midfielder Simphiwe Selepe, the man with the magic touch.
The 20-year-old midfielder arrived late on the edge of the box to pounce on a bouncing ball in the Usuthu danger area, and his shot proved too much for the keeper.
79′ @AmaZuluFootball 1 v 1 @orlandopirates
⚫⚪🔴⭐#MatchDay#OrlandoPirates#OnceAlways pic.twitter.com/pn8FZ35I3G
— Orlando Pirates (@orlandopirates) May 24, 2025
The atmosphere in Durban built up nicely for an afternoon of swashbuckling action, with very little on the line and both teams expected to play with relative freedom.
Having had a full week to rest and recover whilst serving a suspension in midweek, Relebohile Mofokeng unsurprisingly grabbed most of the AmaZulu players’ attention physically, but still looked menacing.
After 20 minutes of feeling each other out, Pirates upped the level, combining on the edge of the box to carve Usuthu open, with Patrick Maswanganyi at the heart of it.
The Bafana international bounced a ball off Tshegofatso Mabasa before running on to receive it behind the defence, but his attempted right-footed shot narrowly missed the bottom corner and went wide in the 23rd minute.
Three minutes later and Pirates were at it, this time Mofokeng playing Deon Hotto through on the left-hand side, but the fullback’s low shot was saved by Usuthu goalkeeper Richard Ofori.
The more the half wore on, the hosts resorted to a more defensive approach, and it was no surprise because they only required a point from the game to seal a top-eight spot.
#BetwayPrem – Results:
AmaZulu 1-1 Orlando Pirates
Kaizer Chiefs 0-0 Polokwane City
Golden Arrows 3-2 Sekhukhune United
CT City 0-0 Stellenbosch
Magesi 1-1 Marumo Gallants
SuperSport United 0-2 Richards Bay#SSDiski— SuperSport Blitz (@SuperSportBlitz) May 24, 2025
Despite this, Pirates kept pushing the needle and almost found the breakthrough on the stroke of halftime, with Mohau Nkota this time missing the target.
The 20-year-old winger combined with Mofokeng off a corner kick from the training ground, but his shot was dragged past the upright.
Both teams would’ve been frustrated for various reasons going into the halftime break goalless.
The second half began in unfashionable style as they lost Ofori to an injury after just five minutes, with Andile Mbanjwa making his top-flight debut in the process.
The game would have near misses and gut-wrenching moments in the end, but the teams could not be separated.
