Betway Premiership champions Orlando Pirates opened the 2026/27 season with a comfortable 2-0 win over newly promoted Milford FC at the Orlando Amstel Arena on Saturday afternoon.
In a fixture that would have proved the mentality of Abdeslam Ouaddou’s side and whether coming in as champions would have any sort of complacency creep in, they passed the test with flying colours.
Having opened the season with back-to-back defeats in Ouaddou’s debut season, goals in each half, from Oswin Appollis and Tshepang Moremi secured the three points for the Buccaneers.
Questions were raised how they would cope without Relebohile Mofokeng, the PSL Footballer of the Season who was a central figure in their domestic treble success but Appollis and Moremi, who were in devastating form for the club last season, continued where they left off.
Appollis scored the opener after 23 minutes – the first goal of the 2026/27 season – via a deflected free-kick, while Moremi capped the performance after being found from a long ball, rounding the keeper and calmly slotting home in the 85th minute.
Patrick Maswanaganyi slotted into the 10 role and it was a rare start for promising academy graduate Cemran Dansin in midfield – in what looks to be another exciting campaign ahead with the Soweto giants selling out their opening home game and passing the Milford test with ease.
Pirates move top of the table – a position they occupied for most of last season, with every belief they can replicate what they achieved last season.