Orlando Pirates navigated a tough pre-season encounter on Thursday night, playing to a 0-0 stalemate with Las Palmas at the Marbella Football Center.
The match saw the Buccaneers finish with 10 men, but their defensive resolve proved unwavering against the Spanish opposition.
Abdeslam Ouaddou continued his rigorous pre-season experimentation, largely rotating his squad from the previous 1-1 draw against Pafos FC.
Only the consistent pairing of Relebohile Mofokeng and Kabelo Dlamini maintained their positions in the starting lineup, underscoring their importance to the early phases of the team's build-up.
The closest Pirates came to scoring in the first half was a powerful free-kick from Kabelo Dlamini in the 21st minute, which unfortunately crashed against the crossbar, denying the Buccaneers an advantage.
PIRATES CHANGED WHOLE STARTING LINEUP IN SECOND HALF
The second half brought a complete change of personnel, as Ouaddou introduced a fresh contingent of 11 players.
This included Sipho Chaine, Deano van Rooyen, Nkosinathi Sibisi, Simphiwe Selepe, Thalente Mbatha, Patrick Maswanganyi, Evidence Makgopa, Lebone Seema, Nkosikhona Ndaba, Karim Kimvuidi, and Sinoxolo Kwayiba, all given valuable minutes to impress.
The game took a dramatic turn in the 61st minute when goalkeeper Sipho Chaine was red-carded for handling the ball outside his box, forcing Pirates to play with a man down for the remainder of the match.
Menzi Buthelezi was immediately subbed on to replace him, with Simphiwe Selepe sacrificing his place. While Evidence Makgopa did manage to put the ball in the net shortly after, the effort was correctly flagged for offside, keeping the scoreline undisturbed.
With their Spanish tour nearing its end, Pirates will now focus on their final pre-season fixture on Saturday, July 19th, where they will face Granada, aiming to conclude their preparations on a high note.
