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– Good evening and welcome to the live play-by-play of the first MTN8 match between the defending Champions Orlando Pirates and Bloemfontein Celtic. |
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– We are coming to you live from Orlando Stadium in Soweto and what exciting match we have in front of us. |
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– Pirates won a second successive treble last season, adding the Telkom Knockout and Absa Premiership titles to the MTN8 they won early in the campaign and they will be looking to make it three in a row. |
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– Celtic, though, will not go down without a fight – this might be Pirates ‘Slaughter House’ according to Bucs captain Lucky Lekgwathi but Celtic’s captain Thabo Nthethe says they are here to fight. |
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– Here are your starting line-ups. |
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– Orlando: Josephs; Lekgwathi, Sangweni, Mahamutsa, Gcaba, Myeni, Jali, Manyisa, Klate, Mabena, McCarthy |
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– Celtic: Tignyem; Leonard, Isaacs, Mothlaping, Mahoa, Mogorosi, Motshegwa, Nthethe, Gamildien, Bacela, Lentjies |
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1’ – Pirates get us underway playing from left to right in their white tops and black shorts. Celtic are in green shorts with black and green hoops on their tops. |
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2’ – Celtic doing the early attacking a down a throw-in deep in the Pirates half. Long throw-in, but cleared by Sangweni. |
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3’ – Game is a bit scrappy early on with both teams misplacing passes, but that is to be expected – some ring rust in the first official game of the season. |
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4’ – Klate attacking down the left flank, but a poor touch sees him lose the ball and Celtic clear their lines. |
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5’ – McCarthy is holding the ball up well and plays Klate down the left, he delivers the first cross of the game, but the Celtic defence heads clear. |
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7’ – Manyisa takes a hard fall and the stretcher is on. Looks like he hurt his elbow, but is back-up and ready to come on. |
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8’ – Bad back pass from Manyisa and Josephs has had to handle the ball. Indirect free-kick to Celtic 12-yards out. |
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10’ – Nthethe touches the ball for Gamildien to shoot, but his shot is cleared off the line by the Pirates defence. |
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13’ – Mabena down the right for Pirates, low cross into the box to McCarthy 12-yards out…OOOH, fires just wide. |
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15’ – Pirates are really stroking the ball about nicely now as Manyisa almost plays Mabena in, just a poor first touch from the striker let him down. |
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16’ – Manyisa tries his luck from 35-yards out but it is way over the target. |
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18’ – Celtic passing the ball on the edge of the Pirates box, Motshegwa tries to shoot, but his shot is blocked. |
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20’ – Celtic win he first corner of the match. Gamildien delviers but the Bucs clear the ball. |
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22’ – McCarthy is looking full on running tonight and his attitude seems to be rubbing off on the other Pirates players as he encourages them. |
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23’ – Celtic players are being given very little time on the ball and are unable to keep possession under pressure from Pirates. |
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25’ – Klate presses down the left and wins a corner. |
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26’ – Myeni whips in the corner-kick, but Leonard is there to head clear. |
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28’ – Celtic have the chance to counter-attack through Bacela who drives forward, inot the Pirates half, but a poor pass gives Pirates possession back. |
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29’ – Lentjies crosses from the right, but the flag is up as Bacela is off-sides. |
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30’ – McCarthy wins a free-kick 25-yards out. |
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31’ – McCarthy strikes the free-kick, but it strikes the wall and goes out for a corner. Klate delivers the corner, Mahamutsa rises to head, but it goes wide. |
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33’ – Celtic win a corner of their own, but Josephs punches the delivery away from goal. |
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35’ – Mogorosi tries to get past Lekgwathi down the left flank, but the Bucs captain is having none of it and produces a crunching tackle to rid the Celtic man of the ball. |
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36’ – Good passing the on the edge of the box before Myeni fires just over from 18-yards out. |
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37’ – Jali lets fly from 30-yards out, but it is way over the target. |
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38’ – Mogorosi down the left, he crosses but it is turned behind for a corner. Gamildien delivers and Celtic win another corner. |
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39’ – Gamildien delivers again, but Josephs is off his line and collects the ball with ease. |
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41’ – The game is dying out a bit now as the match nears half time – Looks like both sides will welcome the break. |
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43’ – Cross into the box from the right by Pirates, but Tignyemb is off his line and punches the ball clear. |
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44’ – Pirates break and Mabena volleys from 22-yards out…great one-handed save by Tignyemb. The ball falls to Klate who heads goalwards, but it is straight at the keeper who makes a second save. |
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45’ – Tsietsi Mahoa (Bloemfontein Celtic) is cautioned. |
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45 + 1’ – The fourth official signals two minutes of added time. |
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45 + 2’ – The referee brings the first half to an end. |
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46’ – The second half is underway with the sides having swopped ends – Celtic not playing from left to right. |
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47’ – Neither side has made a change at the break. |
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48’ – Pirates doing the early attacking and win a throw-in deep in the Celtic half. Mahamutsa with a long throw-in into the box, but Celtic clear. |
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49’ – Gcaba using his skill to find some space on the right, he crosses, but Tingyemb does well to collect the ball acrobatically. |
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50’ – Nthethe with a poor back pass and McCarthy nearly gets on the ball, but Tignyemb was out his box to clear – that was close. |
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52’ – Pirates look full of running at the start of the second half and Celtic have hardly seen the ball. |
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53’ – Celtic in their first attack of the second half and the opportunity is wasted as Gamildien fries well wide from 25-yards out. |
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54’ – Ball over the top from Celtic for Mogorosi to chase, he shoots from just inside the box…OOOH, inches wide of the target. |
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56’ – Pirates win a free-kick 25-yards out as Jali is fouled. Good chance in a good area here… |
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57’ – McCarthy strikes it, but it is high over the crossbar. |
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58’ – Bloemfontein Celtic Substitution: Lerato David Manzine replaces Jacky Motshegwa |
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59’ – Cross from the left by Gamildien, free-header for the new substitute, Manzini, but Josephs produces a great save from close range. |
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60’ – The rebound fell to Nthethe but he headed over from two-yards out. |
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61’ – Chance at the other head as Sangweni gets on the end of a Pirates corner, but he headers centimetres wide from ten-yards out. |
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63’ – Celtic win a corner. Gamildien delivers but it is over the head of everyone and out for a throw-in. |
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65’ – The last five minutes have seen Pirates with 67 percent of the possession, but they need to turn into goal scoring chances. |
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67’ – Orlando Pirates Substitution: Thulasizwe Mbuyane replaces Ndumiso Mabena |
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68’ – Pirates with a free-kick 30-yards out. McCarthy strikes it, but it is straight at the keeper who makes a comfortable save. |
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69’ – Bloemfontein Celtic Substitution: Lyle Lakay replaces Lennox Bacela |
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70’ – Orlando Pirates Substitution: Manti Moholo replaces Oupa Manyisa |
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71’ – Pirates win a corner but nothing comes of it. |
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74’ – Andile Jali (Orlando Pirates) is cautioned. |
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77’ – The game has fallen into a little bit of a lull as neither team has created anything significant in the last five minutes. |
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79’ – McCarthy doing some good work down the left flank, he crosses into the box, Klate gets onto the end of it, but his shot is blocked by the Celtic defence. |
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80’ – The referee awards a penalty after Lentjies slipped in the box and appeared to handle the ball – tough call there, a bit unlucky for Lentjies. |
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81’ – Thabo Nthethe (Bloemfontein Celtic) is cautioned. |
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82’ – Andile Jali (Orlando Pirates) takes a penalty kick on goal. |
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83’ – Jali was calm and collect there and sent the keeper the wrong way. A speculative penalty, but it is a goal nonetheless. |
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84’ – Bloemfontein Celtic Substitution: Siyabonga Nontshinga replaces Ruzaigh Gamildien |
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87’ – Orlando Pirates Substitution: Patrick Phungwayo replaces Rooi Mahamutsa |
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88’ – McCarthy shoots from just inside the box, but the keeper makes a good save. |
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90’ – The fourth official signals foru minutes of added time. |
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90 + 2’ – Good ball into the box by Pirates, Jali get son the end of it, but Tignyemb is quickly off his line to smother the attacker and clear the danger. |
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90 + 3’ – Moholo shoots from 25-yards, but it strikes the post and bounces away from danger. |
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90 + 4’ – The referee blows the whistle for Full Time. |
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