Staff Reporter.
Orlando Pirates have one foot in the CAF Confederation Cup group stages after thrashing Jwaneng Galaxy 3-0 in the first leg of their play-off tie on Sunday.
Linda Mntambo and Terrence Dzvukamanja were recalled with Thembinkosi Lorch starting from the bench while Thabang Monare was not in the squad.
Galaxy goalkeeper Ezekiel Morake was put to countless work early on, with a double save from solid attempts from close-range by captain Happy Jele and Dzvukamanja.
The work didn’t stop there for the shot-stopper, as he pulled off yet another succession of saves from a smartly taken effort by Vincent Pule.
Fortune Makaringe sliced through the defence to go clear for the breakthrough towards the final phases of the first half, but Morake once again came to his side’s aid.
Morake was finally beaten just after the half-hour mark when a corner-kick from Deon Hotto allocated Thulani Hlatshwayo to head home emphatically.
Mntambo finally made it 2-0 for Pirates in the last seven minutes with a cracking strike from outside the box after he was teed up by Mako.
Jean-Marc Mundele quickly made it 3-0 for the Buccaneers three minutes before time, getting his first goal for the club with a volley inside the box, as Zinnbauer’s men cruised to a big victory, with the second-leg set for Orlando Stadium next Sunday.
Meanwhile Mamelodi Sundowns started their CAF Champions League campaign in Group B with a 2-0 win over Al Hilal Omdurman.
Elsewhere the Confederation of African Football cancelled a Confederation Cup match in Angola on Sunday after players arriving from Tanzania were placed in quarantine, football authorities in Dar es Salaam said.
Tanzanian club Namungo and CD de Agosto of Luanda had been due to meet in the first leg of a qualifying playoff in the continent’s second tier club competition.