Trisha Shetty (Editor)

Orlando Pirates

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Ground Capacity
  
40,000

Coach
  
Kjell Jonevret

League
  
Premier Soccer League

Chairman
  
Irvin Khoza

2015–16
  
ABSA Premiership, 7th

Manager
  
Augusto Palacios

Founded
  
1937


Full name
  
Orlando Pirates Football Club

Nickname(s)
  
Buccaneers, Bucs, Ezikamagebhula, Sea Robbers, the Ghost, Happy People, Amabhakabhaka, Ezimnyama Ngenkani (The black ones)

Arenas/Stadiums
  
Orlando Stadium, Ellis Park Stadium

Training grounds
  
Rand Stadium, Johannesburg Stadium

Profiles

Oscarine masuluke wonder goal baroka f c vs orlando pirates


Orlando Pirates Football Club are a professional football club in South Africa, based in the Parktown suburb of the city of Johannesburg and plays in the top tier system of South African football known as Premier Soccer League.

Contents

The club was founded in 1937 and was originally based in Orlando, Soweto. They are named 'Pirates' after the 1940 film The Sea Hawk starring Errol Flynn. Orlando Pirates are the first club since the inception of the Premier Soccer League in 1996 to have won three major trophies in a single season back to back, having won the domestic league ABSA Premiership, the FA Cup Nedbank Cup and the Top 8 Cup MTN 8 during the ABSA Premiership 2010–11 season and domestic league ABSA Premiership, the League Cup Telkom Knockout and the Top 8 Cup MTN 8 during the ABSA Premiership 2011–12 season. They are the one of the only two South African teams with Mamelodi Sundowns to win the CAF Champions League, which they won in 1995. They are the runners-up of 2015 CAF Confederation Cup. Orlando Pirates remains the only team since the inception of the PSL in 1996 to have been always in the top eight bracket.

Orlando Pirates Orlando Pirates

Vodacom soccer orlando pirates football club


History

Orlando Pirates Orlando Pirates Wikipedia

Orlando Pirates is one of South Africa's oldest football clubs having been established in 1937 in Orlando East, Soweto. The club's performances over the years have served as an inspiration for young footballers to strive to play the Beautiful Game at the highest level in the black and white colours of the ‘Buccaneers’.

Early years

The founders of Orlando Pirates included offspring of migrant workers who moved from rural areas to work in the gold mines of Gauteng. Boys in Orlando came together at every available opportunity in open spaces and in informal groupings to play football. That original club was called the Orlando Boys Club.

In 1940, Buthuel Mokgosinyane, the first president, bought the first team kit with his own funds. Orlando Boys participated in Johannesburg Bantu Association's Saturday League, where they won the Division Two title and gained promotion to Division One in 1944. Andrew Bassie, a key member of the team, suggested the new name 'Orlando Pirates'. The team composed the camp's war cry 'Ezimnyama Ngenkani'.

Since 1971

Over the years, Orlando Pirates – also known as ‘The Happy People’ – have accumulated a record of successes having won the National Professional Soccer League title in 1971, 1973, 1975 and 1976, the National Soccer League title in 1994, and the Premier Soccer League title four times, in 2001, 2003, 2011 and 2012. Their first-place finish in the 2010–11 domestic league campaign generated much excitement among the club's vast fan-base.

In 2011, Orlando Pirates enjoyed tremendous success by winning the 2010–11 Premier Soccer League, The Nedbank Cup, The MTN 8 Cup and The Telkom Knockout. This year was dubbed as the "The Happy Year"

Many other cup triumphs in domestic football have also been recorded, including Vodacom Challenge title victories in the inaugural 1999 tournament and in 2005. But the African continent and other areas of the football world took notice of Orlando Pirates Football Club when they won the African Champions Cup (now known as the Champions League) in 1995 and the African Super Cup a year later. Pirates were and still are the only Southern Hemisphere club to have won the African Champions League. This achievement resulted in the club being honoured by the first State President of the new democratic South Africa, Nelson Mandela – another first for a South African sporting team.

Club chairman, Irvin Khoza, who also served on the 2010 World Cup Bid Committee, must be credited with the club's rise to fame over the past few years as the Orlando Pirates supporters – who are nicknamed "The Ghost" – have had much to cheer about.

Kaizer Chiefs chairman Kaizer Motaung and his Jomo Cosmos counterpart Jomo Sono were popular players of the highest calibre for the Buccaneers before starting their own clubs. Their playing history is deeply entrenched in the black and white colours of Orlando Pirates.

In 2005, the team, along with Interza Lesego and Ellis Park Stadium Ltd, announced its acquisition of a 51% share in Ellis Park Stadium, making it the first majority black owned stadium in South Africa.

The Soweto derby

The Soweto derby between Kaizer Chiefs and Orlando Pirates is one of the most fiercely contested derbies in world football. And in contrast to most of the other games played in the Premier Soccer League in South Africa, matches between the two archrivals attract a full house of supporters almost without fail.

Club records

  • Most appearances: William Okpara 375
  • Most goals: Benedict Vilakazi 52
  • Most capped Player: Teko Modise 57 (South Africa)
  • Most appearances in a season: Oupa Manyisa and Senzo Meyiwa 51 (2013–14)
  • Most goals in a season: Dennis Lota 23 (1999–00)
  • Record win: 9–1 v Olympics (Bob Save Super Bowl 07/03/1999)
  • Record loss: 0-6 vs Mamelodi Sundowns (League 11/02/2017) [Loftus Versfeld Stadium, Pretoria]
  • Club officials/Technical team

  • Chairman and MD: Irvin Khoza
  • Coach: Kjell Jonevret
  • Assistant coaches: Harold Legodi Benson Mhlongo}
  • First team squad

    As of 6 September 2016

    Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

    Foreigners

    In the South African PSL, only five non-South African nationals can be registered. Foreign players who have acquired permanent residency can be registered as locals. Namibians born before 1990 do not count as foreigner

  • Bernard Morrison
  • Issa Sarr
  • Tendai Ndoro
  • permanent residency-

    On loan

    Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

    Retired numbers

  • 1 Senzo Meyiwa, Goalkeeper
  • 10 Jomo Sono, Midfielder
  • 13 Clifford Moleko, Midfielder – Posthumous
  • 22 Lesley Manyathela, Forward (2000–03) – Posthumous
  • Notable former players

    Lesley Manyathela (Slow Poison)

    Steve Lekolea (Chippa)

    Sponsors & Suppliers

  • Principal Sponsor: Vodacom
  • Official Technical Supplier: Adidas
  • Transport Supplier: Greyhound
  • Official IT Partner: Acer
  • Internet Supplier: SuperSport New Media
  • Carling Black Label
  • References

    Orlando Pirates Wikipedia