Orlando Pirates were held by ten-man Stellenbosch FC to a goalless draw in Tuesday evening’s Betway Premiership encounter.
Deano Van Rooyen, Nkosinathi Sibisi, Goodman Mosele, Kabelo Dlamini, and Tshegofatso Mabasa returned to the Buccaneers' starting eleven for this fixture.
The opening exchanges were tightly contested, with neither side able to establish dominance and clear-cut scoring opportunities proving elusive.
Stellenbosch remained resolute as the first half progressed, even managing to unsettle the Pirates defence on occasion.
HOW STELLIES GOT A RED CARD
However, the complexion of the match shifted ten minutes before halftime when Brian Onyango of “Stellies” received a red card for a foul on Mabasa, denying the Pirates striker a clear goal-scoring opportunity.
From the ensuing free-kick on the edge of the six-yard box, Dlamini came close to capitalizing but his effort struck the top of the crossbar.
Prior to the second half commencing, Stellenbosch made a double substitution, introducing Ibraheem Jabaar and Athenkosi Mcaba in place of Andre de Jong and Devon Titus, respectively.
Pirates almost broke the deadlock shortly after the restart when a loose ball from a corner fell to Nkosinathi Sibisi, but Stellenbosch produced a vital block to deny the effort.
The game remained a tightly fought affair, with scoring chances remaining scarce. Pirates then introduced Patrick Maswanganyi, replacing Dlamini, in an attempt to find a breakthrough.
With ten minutes remaining, Pirates thought they had taken the lead when Mabasa headed in Van Rooyen's cross, but the goal was disallowed for offside.
In the closing stages, Stellenbosch pressed forward and almost snatched a late winner when a low drive from Kazie Enyinnaya tested Sipho Chaine in the Pirates' goal.
Ultimately, neither team could find a breakthrough, and the match concluded goalless, with both sides sharing the points.
