Orlando Pirates vs Polokwane City: Preview, team news, time and where to watch

Published on by

Orlando Pirates vs Polokwane City: Preview, team news, time and where to watch
Image - Pirates

Orlando Pirates will be out to quickly bounce back to winning ways when they host Polokwane City on Wednesday.

Pirates return to league action after a disappointing CAF Champions League outing following a 3-0 loss away to St Eloi Lupopo of DR Congo in the second preliminary round which left them in danger of suffering early elimination from the continental competition.

It was a surprise result for Abdeslam Ouaddou’s team who had been on a 10-match winning run and unbeaten in 11 before the international break.

Sipho Mbule and Thalente Mbatha Orlando Piratea

The Soweto giants were totally destroyed and must put up a performance of the season in the second leg this weekend to save their Champions League dream.

Winning in midweek can go a long way in easing that pain and preparing them for Saturday’s game and face a Polokwane team that has equally been doing well with just two losses in their last eight games.

Form guide

Since losing back-to-back games at the start of the season, Pirates have won all their last five league games which has left them in third position with 15 points from seven games, six behind leaders Mamelodi Sundowns, who have played three more games.

Phuti Mohafe Polokwane City
Image – Polokwane City

A win will move them within three points of Sundowns and still with two games in hand and they will feel confident even after their bad result in Congo.

Their good run also includes wins in the MTN8 and Carling Knockout as they already have one trophy in the bag and are still chasing more.

Polokwane, meanwhile, are also on 15 points after four wins and three draws from nine games and in their last seven, they have won four and drawn two, making them tough to beat.

Evidence Makgopa Orlando Pirates
Image – Pirates

Team news

Pirates will still be without the injured Relebohile Mofokeng as well as long-term absentees Deano van Rooyen and Tapelo Xoki but coach Ouaddou should have enough to cope with Phuti Mohafe’s team.

Head-to-head

Pirates have been dominant over Polokwane with the Buccaneers unbeaten against Rise and Shine in their last 10 meetings, including the first game of 2025-26, when they secured a 2-0 win in the MTN8 quarter-final.

The Soweto giants have won their last four games against Polokwane and in that 11-match period, they have eight wins with two ending in draws, making it a tough job for Mohafe’s team.

What have they said?

“It is important to gather as many points as possible. We know that a number of teams are not the same but it is still important for us to play and win matches,” said Pirates assistant coach Mandla Ncikazi. “It is important we improve performances and when we do that, we are guaranteed good results.”

“Polokwane is a unique team and the coach has a very unique style of how he sets up his team and for us, it is to nullify the strength of the opponent and improve our performance.”

Time and where to watch

The match will kick off at Orlando Stadium at 19:30 and will be live on SuperSport TV.

Orlando Pirates predicted lineup

Chaine; Lebitso, Hotto, Mbokazi, Sibisi; Nemtajela, Nduli, Mbule; Sebelebele, Appollis, Mabasa

<!-- Author Start -->Joel Oliver<!-- Author End -->

Joel Oliver

Author

Joel Oliver is a seasoned multimedia sports journalist with a rich background in covering diverse football stories and events in South Africa and beyond.
His extensive coverage spans subjects touching on the PSL, with a focus on the Big Three (Orlando Pirates, Kaizer Chiefs & Mamelodi Sundowns), Bafana Bafana and Banyana Banyana.

You May Also Like