Orlando Pirates and Baroka played to a goalless draw on Thursday night in the day’s only DStv Premiership match.
Orlando Pirates 0-0 Baroka
The match kicked off 30 minutes later, due to traffic congestion in Soweto that saw the arrival of the teams delayed.
Bennet Bobete went wide in the fourth minute, while a minute later Fortune Makaringe tested Oscarine Masuluke after a good attack by the home team, but the Baroka goalkeeper was up to the task and made a good save from Makaringe’s goal bound shot.
Deon Hotto had a great chance to open the score in the 17th minute, as he did the hard work to round an advancing Masuluke, but with an open goal looming, the Namibian couldn’t steer his shot on target.
Masuluke made another top save in the 25th minute, as he got hands to a powerful effort from Ben Motshwari.
Kwame Peprah’s header in the 30th minute was steered over the goal, while Motshwari’s effort in the 35th minute was just wide. Bobete’s long range attempt went wide in stoppage time, in a rare chance in the first half for the visitors.
Despite Pirates’ dominance in the first half, at the break it remained goalless, and the home team would have rued how many chances they had and didn’t take.
Baroka went close to opening the scoring in the 50th minute, when Nhlanhla Mgaga’s floated free kick into the box went over Siyabonga Mpontshane and struck the crossbar. Bobete was off target three minutes later.
Linda Mntambo went wide in the 58th minute, while Hotto tested Masuluke in the 63rd minute, but the Baroka keeper made a comfortable save.
Evidence Makgopa tried a shot from the edge of the area in the 73rd minute, but it went wide of Mpontshane’s goal.
Sekela Sithole shot over in the 83rd minute, while Motshwari went wide in stoppage time as for the first time in a match between Pirates and Baroka, it ended goalless.
