Platinum Stars upset form books to win the MTN 8

Platinum Stars clinched their first ever MTN8 title when they defeated Orlando Pirates 3-1 on penalties at the Moses Mabhida Stadium on Saturday night.

Robert Ng’ambi fired Stars ahead early in the second half, but Thabo Matlaba equalised with less than ten minutes left on the clock to force the match into extra time and then penalties.

Dikwena applied the early pressure and came close to breaking the deadlock in the fourth minute through former Pirates player Siphelele Mthembu, but he saw his effort deflected wide of goal.

However, Pirates started to control the midfield and eventually had their first chance in the 21st minute with Kermit Erasmus stinging Siyabonga Mpontshane’s palms from outside the box.

Erasmus managed to turn into the box on the left three minutes later before attempting to play the ball across goal, only to see his effort deflected over.

The former SuperSport United forward was in the thick of things again in the 30th minute as he cut inside from the left, but he failed to keep his effort down.

Nine minutes later Tlou Segolela and Happy Jele combined on the right with the latter collecting the ball on the edge of the penalty area, but he failed to trouble the goalkeeper as he drilled his shot wide.

With half-time looming, it was the Buccaneers who continued to ask the questions with Oupa Manyisa forcing a low save from Mpontshane in the 42nd minute, while Rooi Mahamutsa glanced his header wide in added time.

The opening goal arrived two minutes after the break when Ng’ambi headed into an open net after Pirates were unable to clear Tintswalo Tshabalala’s freekick at the near post.

The Buccaneers immediately pushed forward for the equaliser but Jele headed Matlaba’s cross over the bar in the 50th minute, while Erasmus fired wide of the post four minutes later.

Erasmus thought he had leveled matters in the 65th minute when he placed his shot past Mpontshane from inside the box, but the goal was disallowed for offside.

Stars came close to doubling their lead from a freekick in the 82nd minute but Senzo Meyiwa did well to get his body behind Mogakolodi Ngele’s well-struck effort.

Roger De Sa’s men eventually leveled matters two minutes later through a moment of individual brilliance as Matlaba beat Mpontshane with a powerful strike from long range.

Bacela could have put his side ahead just a minute later when he was allowed to get his shot away inside the box, only to send his effort wide of the post as the two sides were deadlocked at 1-1 at the end of regulation time.

Both sides had their opportunities in extra time, the first one falling for Joseph Malongoane in the 103rd minute, but the winger was unable to reach Matlaba’s low cross with the goal at his mercy.

Matlaba then tested Mpontshane with another long range effort in the 113th minute, while Ngele directed his shot over the crossbar two minutes later to send the tie onto penalties.

Orlando Pirates 1 (Matlaba 84’)
Platinum Stars 1 (Ng’ambi 48’)

Penalties:

Orlando Pirates
Successful: Jali
Unsuccessful: Mahamutsa, Mabena, Bacela

Stars
Successful: Mere, Botes, Ngele
Unsuccessful: Chinyama

Teams:

Orlando Pirates: Meyiwa, Mahamutsa, Jele, Phungwayo (Matlaba 41’), Sangweni, Masalesa, Manyisa, Klate (Mabena 82’), Segolela (Malongoane 72’), Erasmus, Bacela

Platinum Stars: Mpontshane, Mere, Gumede, Mhlongo, Ng'ambi, Malokase (Ngele 74’), Sarr, Tshabalala, Mthembu (Chinyama 99’), Msomi (Botes 86’), Ngwepe