Orlando Pirates qualified to the next round of the Nedbank Cup as they beat ABC Motsepe Championship outfit Baroka 3-1 at Orlando Stadium on Saturday.
It was a triumphant return home for the defending champions when they joined four other teams in the last eight, with three more spots still to be occupied.
Dominant for the entirety of the first quarter, Pirates were denied clear-cut opportunities throughout despite controlling matters from the jump. The Baroka defence did well to shield Malcolm Jacobs’ goal for much of the opening exchanges amid early pressure from the hosts.
The shot-stopper was first called into action 19 minutes after the first whistle following excellent work from Bucs right-back Deano van Rooyen, who surged across from the right before connecting with Relebohile Mofokeng. The 20-year-old attacker drifted centrally before unleashing a shot which was tipped over the crossbar.
Patrick Maswanganyi followed up with an effort of his own which was dealt with easily by the veteran gloveman. The wait for the breakthrough only lasted 29 minutes, and it came through Mabasa who finished past Jacobs after making a well-timed run inside the box to connect with a cross from Deon Hotto.
With the visitors looking to draw level, Pirates were still able to surge deep into opposition territory. They had a chance to go two ahead in the 37th minute as Mofokeng combined with Hotto, with the Namibian international fluffing his lines from just inside the box as he scooped his effort over the bar.
Just as it appeared as if the home side would take only a slim lead into the break, they produced a moment of magic. Paseka Mako and Kabelo Dlamini were both involved along with Mofokeng in an enterprising move that carved the defence open before setting Mabasa up for a relatively easy finish to make it 2-0.
Baroka continued to show some fight in the second half, but the vast majority of the goalmouth action was at the other end. Dlamini drew a save from Jacobs after linking up with Maswanganyi seven minutes after the interval. This was only seconds before halftime substitute Phillip Ndlondlo joined in the action, sending his long-range effort crashing into the crossbar with the keeper out of the equation.
It took another 10 minutes for the Soweto Giants to pull away even further, and their third goal was a result of sustained possessional dominance. They starved the visitors of the ball before knocking it towards Maswanganyi, who played a flick for Mabasa. The striker took one touch before producing a composed finish from just outside the box to complete his hat-trick.
Baroka would however land a blow eventually, following a free kick awarded on the edge of Pirates’ area in the 75th minute. It was taken by Sydney Malivha whose shot found a tricky bounce which aided it past the outstretched Sipho Chaine.
That signalled the end of a relatively quiet afternoon for the Bucs shot-stopper, with Dan Ndhlovu testing him with a stinging shot from range in the game’s dying moments. The 28-year-old came out on top this time around, showing great agility to tip the ball over.
As the clock wound down, the visitors continued in their attempts to throw a spanner in the works. The Buccaneers had however done more than enough to carve a passage into the quarterfinals, as they effortlessly held on to win by a two-goal margin.