{"id":43226,"date":"2025-11-27T20:50:50","date_gmt":"2025-11-27T20:50:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/eduzim.co.zw\/news\/?p=43226"},"modified":"2025-11-27T20:50:50","modified_gmt":"2025-11-27T20:50:50","slug":"former-mamelodi-sundowns-player-has-a-big-say-on-orlando-pirates","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/eduzim.co.zw\/news\/2025\/11\/27\/former-mamelodi-sundowns-player-has-a-big-say-on-orlando-pirates\/","title":{"rendered":"Former Sundowns player has a big say on Pirates"},"content":{"rendered":"<p> <script data-jetpack-boost=\"ignore\" async src=\"https:\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-1669381584671856\"\r\n     crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script>\r\n<!-- Africa tv video display -->\r\n<ins class=\"adsbygoogle\"\r\n     style=\"display:block\"\r\n     data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-1669381584671856\"\r\n     data-ad-slot=\"3579572842\"\r\n     data-ad-format=\"auto\"\r\n     data-full-width-responsive=\"true\"><\/ins>\r\n<script data-jetpack-boost=\"ignore\">\r\n     (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});\r\n<\/script><br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div>\n<p>Manqoba Ngwenya says Orlando Pirates are no longer chasing shadows in the Betway Premiership, they\u2019re setting the pace.<\/p>\n<p>The former midfielder believes the Buccaneers are currently outshining the defending champions, not just on the table, but on the pitch.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-applause-for-orlando-pirates\">APPLAUSE FOR ORLANDO PIRATES <\/h2>\n<p>The Buccaneers and Kabo Yellow are level on 25 points, separated only by goal difference. The numbers already lean slightly towards the Sea Robbers: 11 games played compared to Sundowns\u2019 12. But for Ngwenya, the real separation is in the football.<\/p>\n<p>The former attacker says Orlando Pirates are winning games with purpose and personality. All types of quality goals have been flowing consistently.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIn the past few seasons, there\u2019s been no real competition in South African football; teams were only competing for second place since everyone expected Sundowns to win the PSL title every year,\u201d Ngwenya told <em>KickOff.com<\/em>.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOrlado Pirates are saving the PSL from becoming a farmers league, where one team dominates season after season,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"640\" height=\"458\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2416796\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" data-loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eduzim.co.zw\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Former-Sundowns-player-has-a-big-say-on-Pirates.jpg?resize=640%2C458&#038;ssl=1\" srcset=\"https:\/\/eduzim.co.zw\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Former-Sundowns-player-has-a-big-say-on-Pirates.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/www.thesouthafrican.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Orlando-Pirates-Betway-Premiership-768x549.jpg.optimal.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.thesouthafrican.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Orlando-Pirates-Betway-Premiership-750x536.jpg.optimal.jpg 750w, https:\/\/www.thesouthafrican.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Orlando-Pirates-Betway-Premiership-960x686.jpg.optimal.jpg 960w, https:\/\/www.thesouthafrican.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Orlando-Pirates-Betway-Premiership-640x458.jpg.optimal.jpg 640w, https:\/\/www.thesouthafrican.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Orlando-Pirates-Betway-Premiership-255x182.jpg.optimal.jpg 255w\"\/><\/figure>\n<p><em>Orlando Pirates\u2019 Bongani Cashibe stays tight on Mamelodi Sundowns\u2019 Manqoba Ngwenya. Image: Gallo<\/em><\/p>\n<p>\u201cI think, in terms of play, Pirates are better than Sundowns right now. Sundowns are still adjusting to a new coach, so we are still in the rebuilding phase, but the good thing is we are also not dropping points,\u201d the former maestro concluded.<\/p>\n<p>Also read: Kaizer Chiefs legend makes a big case for Lorch<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-sundowns-dynasty\">SUNDOWNS DYNASTY<\/h2>\n<p>Orlando Pirates have finished second to Mamelodi Sundowns three seasons in a row. 2022\/23: Sundowns ran away with 70 points, while Pirates settled for 54. In 2023\/24, the pattern continued, Sundowns on 73, Pirates lagging on 50.<\/p>\n<p>Last season, the margin closed slightly, but Sundowns still took 73 points to Pirates\u2019 61.<\/p>\n<p>Next up for the Sea Robbers is a trip to KwaZulu-Natal, where they\u2019ll take on Durban City at the Moses Mabhida Stadium on Saturday, 29 November, with kick-off at 15:30. Meanwhile, Mamelodi Sundowns travel to North Africa for a CAF Champions League clash against Rulani Mokwena\u2019s MC Alger on Friday night at 21:00.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><script data-jetpack-boost=\"ignore\" async src=\"https:\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-1669381584671856\"\r\n     crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script>\r\n<!-- Africa tv video display -->\r\n<ins class=\"adsbygoogle\"\r\n     style=\"display:block\"\r\n     data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-1669381584671856\"\r\n     data-ad-slot=\"3579572842\"\r\n     data-ad-format=\"auto\"\r\n     data-full-width-responsive=\"true\"><\/ins>\r\n<script data-jetpack-boost=\"ignore\">\r\n     (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});\r\n<\/script><br \/>\n#Sundowns #player #big #Pirates<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Manqoba Ngwenya says Orlando Pirates are no longer chasing shadows in the Betway Premiership, they\u2019re setting the pace. The former&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":43227,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[32],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-43226","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-mzansi"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/eduzim.co.zw\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/43226","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/eduzim.co.zw\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/eduzim.co.zw\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/eduzim.co.zw\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/eduzim.co.zw\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=43226"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/eduzim.co.zw\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/43226\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":43228,"href":"https:\/\/eduzim.co.zw\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/43226\/revisions\/43228"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/eduzim.co.zw\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/43227"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/eduzim.co.zw\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=43226"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/eduzim.co.zw\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=43226"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/eduzim.co.zw\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=43226"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}