Cape Town - Tendai Ndoro’s two first-half goals helped Orlando Pirates defeat Ajax Cape Town 2-1 in an Absa Premiership game played at the Cape Town Stadium on Tuesday evening.
The Urban Warriors enjoyed a good spell of possession in the opening stages of the league encounter as they probed for the game’s first goal.
Pirates’ goalkeeper Brighton Mhlongo was tested for the first time in the 14th minute when he gathered Toriq Losper’s low shot from range.
The home team kept putting pressure on the Ajax defence and six minutes later, Resco Pietersen’s volley was cleared off the line by Pirates captain Oupa Manyisa.
However, Tendai Ndoro fired Pirates into the lead in the 36th minute against the run of play after he combined well with Mpho Makola.
It was soon 2-0 to Pirates when Oupa Manyisa played a through pass for Ndoro, who fired past Ajax keeper Brandon Petersen seven minutes before halftime.
The home side pulled one back through Nathan Paulse in the 53rd minute. A long ball found the towering striker unmarked in the Pirates box and he made it 2-1 for Ajax.
In the 67th minute, Ajax head coach Roger de Sa decided to pull out Thabo Mosadi for former Pirates midfielder Mark Mayambela, hoping he would make the difference.
Mhlongo was the difference on the night, though, as he produced two great saves in stoppage time to deny Ajax a late equaliser.
Pirates walked away 2-1 winners on the night, making it two wins out of two for the Buccaneers in the league.
AFRICAN NEWS AGENCY