Pirates sharpen their title sword on Durban City as Sundowns' lead comes under threat

Orlando Pirates continued to apply early pressure on Betway Premiership leaders Mamelodi Sundowns after a second-half surge earned the defending champions a 2-0 victory over Durban City at Orlando Stadium on Thursday night.

Goals from Lebone Seema and Tshepang Moremi transformed what had threatened to become another frustrating encounter against City into a valuable three points for Abdeslam Ouaddou’s side.

The victory moved Pirates to 16 points from six league matches, four behind Sundowns, who have collected 20 from eight.

Crucially, the Buccaneers still have two games in hand on the African champions as the title race begins to take shape in the early stages of the league.

Behind the leading pair, AmaZulu occupy third place with 13 points from six matches, while Kaizer Chiefs have 12 points from six matches. Sekhukhune United complete the top five with eight points from six outings.

For Pirates, Thursday represented a return to domestic business following successive weekends devoted to the CAF Champions League.

They had progressed past Mauritian champions La Cure Waves 3-1 on aggregate in the first preliminary round, but Durban City presented a different problem.

It was already the third meeting between the teams this season, and City once again proved difficult to break down.

The visitors enjoyed some of the better opportunities during a competitive opening half and ensured Pirates went into the interval with nothing to show for their possession.

Ouaddou’s men emerged with greater urgency after the break.

Simphiwe Selepe, Moremi and Kabelo Kgositsile began injecting more purpose into the Pirates attack, while Yanela Mbuthuma provided the focal point through the middle.

The increased pressure eventually cracked City’s