Orlando Pirates Devour Gallants In 8-1 Massacre

Orlando Pirates displayed a clinical attacking performance in their 8-1 demolition of Marumo Gallants in a thrilling Premier Soccer League (PSL) encounter at the Orlando Stadium on Saturday afternoon.

The Buccaneers began the match with a blistering start and were rewarded with an early goal after Gallants defender Kenneth Nthatheni turned the ball into his own net in just the first minute of the game.

Gallants briefly threatened an equalizer, but Pirates' relentless pressure proved to be too much to handle. Tshegofatso Mabaso netted a brace in the 47th and 53rd minutes, giving Pirates a commanding 3-0 lead.

Gallants showed some fight and managed to pull one back through Gabadinho Mhango in the 23rd minute, but Pirates continued to dominate the match. Deano David van Rooyen restored the three-goal advantage in the 59th minute, before Mabaso completed his hat-trick in the 64th minute.

The onslaught continued as Thalente Mbatha scored two stunning goals in the 70th and 82nd minutes to make it 7-1. Boitumelo Radiopane then capped off the scoring in the 90th minute with a well-taken penalty.

The victory extended Pirates' unbeaten run to five matches and moved them up to second place in the PSL standings, one point behind log leaders Mamelodi Sundowns. Gallants, on the other hand, dropped to 14th place.

Pirates coach Jose Riveiro was delighted with his team's performance, praising their attacking intent.

"We played very well today," said Riveiro. "We were very aggressive from the start and we created a lot of chances. We also defended very well, which is important against a team like Gallants."

Gallants coach Dan Malesela was disappointed with his team's performance but praised Pirates for their quality.

"We didn't play to our potential today," said Malesela. "Pirates were very good and they deserved to win."

The match was witnessed by a crowd of over 20,000 fans, who witnessed a memorable performance from the Buccaneers. Pirates will now shift their focus to their upcoming CAF Champions League group stage match against Horoya AC on Tuesday, while Gallants will host Royal AM in the Nedbank Cup on Wednesday.