Hotto gives Pirates slender advantage in MTN8 semi-final as new star gets first minutes

[p]It was a tight contest with few scoring chances, but here are the talking points from the game.[/p][p] [/p][p][b]Hot-shot Hotto[/b][/p][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/orlando-pirates/p4SF9EMI/"]Pirates[/a] took the lead two minutes before the break after a fairly sedate opening 45 minutes.[/p][p]It was the ‘old man’ [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/hotto-deon/0vGjjZE9/"]Deon Hotto[/a], who continues to defy his age with his energy up and down the left flank, as the 35-year-old blasted the ball into the net from an angle.[/p][p]He played a one-two with Zambian [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/ghampani-lungu/QqjurSEP/"]Gamphani Lungu[/a], who cleverly steered the ball back into the path of the Namibia international. Hotto took a touch before blasting the ball into the back of the net.[/p][p]It is a first goal for Hotto since August 2025, and his first in the MTN8 since the victory over [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/cape-town-city/l8K0DYSm/"]Cape Town City[/a] in August 2024.[/p][p]Hotto has made 436 appearances in South African football and has now scored 49 goals to go with 87 assists, bearing in mind he was once an out-and-out winger.[/p][p]It is a fabulous return from one of the great PSL players of his generation.[/p][image alt="Match statistics" id="0bb31810-53c8-4b47-867d-6cc65f990a19" credit-line="Flashscore" guid="c816b09a-a774-4919-80ec-0e909882f192" original-width="2160" original-height="2700" /][p][b]First minutes for [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/pedersen-sebastian/fmxq5TZ8/"]Pedersen[/a][/b][/p][p]Pirates’ new Norwegian signing Sebastian Pedersen earned his first minutes for the club when he came off the bench after 65 minutes for [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/mbuthuma-yanela/Yau3xnYk/"]Yanela Mbuthuma[/a].[/p][p]With Evidence [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/makgopa-evidence/riFLkbEo/"]Makgopa[/a] out for some time and Mbuthuma seemingly not in form, the striker could be crucial in the coming months.[/p][p]To be fair to him, there was not much in the way of service as Pirates battled to create chances all game, and the most that was seen of him was getting on the end of headers from long balls up the pitch.[/p][infobox id="6b26ac9e-516b-44ef-ae26-248d15bdf3de" /][p][b]Pirates march on[/b][/p][p]Since 2020, Pirates have lost just two of their 23 MTN8 ties, and one of those did not matter in the end.[/p][p]They were beaten 2-1 at home by [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/swallows-fc/SnHWoCTb/"]Moroka Swallows[/a] in the quarter-finals in 2021 in a surprise result, and lost 1-0 on their own patch to [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/stellenbosch-fc/fJsWcA5b/"]Stellenbosch FC[/a] in 2023 in the second leg of a semi-final tie, but still advanced on the away-goals rule.[/p][p]For the rest, they have 16 wins and five draws in that time.[/p][p]They have, in fact, not lost an away MTN8 tie in 10 years, since a 2-1 defeat at the now-defunct BidVest Wits in the quarter-finals.[/p][p]In 14 away matches in the competition since 2010, that is their only defeat at any stage.[/p][p]Remarkably, their last away loss at the semi-final stage was against [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/kaizer-chiefs/fFZ2CGx0/"]Kaizer Chiefs[/a] (0-1) in 2001.[/p][image alt="Match momentum" id="6f79e2c6-c2f0-4620-bcd8-5b217b4fef0a" credit-line="Flashscore" guid="bb73ea1a-6ed8-4e30-b41e-d6911d21026a" original-width="2160" original-height="2700" /][p][b]We meet again[/b][/p][p]The teams will clash again at Orlando Stadium on Tuesday in a Betway Premiership fixture before the return leg of this semi-final next Saturday at the same venue.[/p][p]Meeting three times in a week is unusual, and it will be interesting to see how much both coaches rotate to keep things fresh and perhaps keep some plans under wraps for the second leg.[/p][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/sekhukhune/UySmgAPp/"]Sekhukhune[/a] have won three of the last six meetings, including two away at Pirates, and have another draw in that run. Pirates now have two victories.[/p][p]Sundowns apart, no other team has enjoyed such success against the Buccaneers over that period.[/p][p]Pirates do lead the overall head-to-head 6-4, with two draws, and did claim victory when the teams met in the 2023 Nedbank Cup final in Pretoria.[/p][p]Months later, they also thumped Sekhukhune 5-0 in the MTN8 quarter-finals.[/p][infobox id="584d9683-f419-4696-8cb3-c155213092a0" /]