Sports / Soccer
Zimbabwean striker's brace sinks Black Aces
22 Feb 2016 at 05:44hrs | Views
A brace of goals by Tendai Ndoro helped Orlando Pirates to a 3-1 win over Mpumalanga Black Aces in an Absa Premiership match at the Mbombela Stadium yesterday.
The win helped the seventh-placed Bucs break into the top half of the table while Aces' title challenge took a massive blow with this defeat. Muhsin Ertugral's fourth-placed team are now 10 points behind league leaders Mamelodi Sundowns.
The teams went into the halftime break at 1-1, after Thabo Rakhale opened the scoring for Pirates and Collins Mbesuma equalised for Aces. However, Ndoro scored two goals in the second half to give the Bucs their seventh win of the campaign.
Pirates were all over Aces in the first half, and the Bucs opened the scoring in the fifth minute. The exciting Amigo Memela did brilliant work down the right touchline, before crossing the ball to Rakhale, who hit a brilliant volley from close range past Shu-Aib Walters in the Aces goal.
Aces, though, drew level in the 12th minute when their talisman Mbesuma scored his 12th goal of the season with a lovely finish at the near post.
The goal seemed to spur on Aces, who had another chance in the 17th minute. However, they managed to squander the opportunity when Mbesuma tried a spectacular bicycle kick after Aubrey Ngoma's cross, which was intended for the oncoming Bongolethu Jayiya.
Mpho Makola then hit the woodwork in the 22nd minute for Pirates with a direct free-kick, while Gift Motupa rifled a shot from range that swerved past Walters' upright.
Issa Sarr squandered a great opportunity to put Pirates ahead in the 32nd minute after a great ball by Rakhale. Sarr, though, sliced his shot wide of the target.
Pirates had a great chance in the 55th minute after some lovely inter-passing. The ball eventually got to Makola, but he lost his balance and sent his shot over the crossbar.
Thanduyise Khuboni tried his luck with a long-range strike on the hour mark, but his strike ended up well off target.
Pirates then took back the lead in the 69th minute when Ndoro scored his first goal after it looked like he had actually crossed the ball in Aces' penalty area.
Five minutes later, Memela had a shot blocked after he and Motupa combined well with some slick passing and movement.
Ndoro, though, made sure of all three points for Pirates after he beat his marker with a lovely turn, before firing the ball into the bottom corner in the 87th minute.
The win helped the seventh-placed Bucs break into the top half of the table while Aces' title challenge took a massive blow with this defeat. Muhsin Ertugral's fourth-placed team are now 10 points behind league leaders Mamelodi Sundowns.
The teams went into the halftime break at 1-1, after Thabo Rakhale opened the scoring for Pirates and Collins Mbesuma equalised for Aces. However, Ndoro scored two goals in the second half to give the Bucs their seventh win of the campaign.
Pirates were all over Aces in the first half, and the Bucs opened the scoring in the fifth minute. The exciting Amigo Memela did brilliant work down the right touchline, before crossing the ball to Rakhale, who hit a brilliant volley from close range past Shu-Aib Walters in the Aces goal.
Aces, though, drew level in the 12th minute when their talisman Mbesuma scored his 12th goal of the season with a lovely finish at the near post.
The goal seemed to spur on Aces, who had another chance in the 17th minute. However, they managed to squander the opportunity when Mbesuma tried a spectacular bicycle kick after Aubrey Ngoma's cross, which was intended for the oncoming Bongolethu Jayiya.
Issa Sarr squandered a great opportunity to put Pirates ahead in the 32nd minute after a great ball by Rakhale. Sarr, though, sliced his shot wide of the target.
Pirates had a great chance in the 55th minute after some lovely inter-passing. The ball eventually got to Makola, but he lost his balance and sent his shot over the crossbar.
Thanduyise Khuboni tried his luck with a long-range strike on the hour mark, but his strike ended up well off target.
Pirates then took back the lead in the 69th minute when Ndoro scored his first goal after it looked like he had actually crossed the ball in Aces' penalty area.
Five minutes later, Memela had a shot blocked after he and Motupa combined well with some slick passing and movement.
Ndoro, though, made sure of all three points for Pirates after he beat his marker with a lovely turn, before firing the ball into the bottom corner in the 87th minute.
Source - The Citizen
