Orlando Pirates drop vital points in draw with Siwelele but one big name was back

[p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/orlando-pirates/p4SF9EMI/"]Pirates[/a] certainly had their chances to win the game but could not force a second goal against a stubborn [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/siwelele/x6s5gTDd/"]Siwelele[/a] side that has not lost since November and battled hard for their point.[/p][p]Here are the talking points from the game.[/p][p][b]Rare goal[/b][/p][p]Orlando Pirates started with several near misses and looked odds-on to score first, but it was Siwelele who took the lead, and it was former Pirate Vincent Pule who scored.[/p][p]He collected the ball on the edge of the box, beat a few defenders and then fired a low shot into the bottom right-hand corner.[/p][p]It was a fine finish as Pirates conceded just a ninth goal in 21 games this campaign, while it was Pule’s third goal of the season and only the 11th his side have scored.[/p][embed guid="88c3d2e3-0abb-4ba6-a3bf-1ea3b4a71fe2" url="https://x.com/SSFootball/status/2032822260919152664?s=20" social-type="twitter" /][p][b]Sloppy Pirates[/b][/p][p]Pirates continued to apply the pressure after that, but [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/goss-ricardo/dEZDIGdM/"]Ricardo Goss[/a] in the visitors’ goal showed why he is likely to be the third goalkeeper in Hugo Broos’ South African World Cup squad.[/p][p]Pirates seemed a little anxious, snatching at their chances and showing uncharacteristic sloppiness in the final third.[/p][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/mofokeng-relebohile/hx20yWyp/"]Relebohile Mofokeng[/a] had a good chance when the ball fell to him on the edge of the box but skewed it wide, while [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/appollis-oswin/6e9QI2W6/"]Oswin Appollis[/a] fired over the top. [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/sibisi-nkosinathi/6Bm7v77H/"]Nkosinathi Sibisi[/a] could not turn the loose ball home from a yard out.[/p][image alt="Match statistics" id="f952709f-6707-4254-adcf-5af0f746f28e" credit-line="Flashscore" guid="b5787970-f02a-421d-869a-c8790a2a5a2e" original-width="1200" original-height="1200" /][p][b]Pirates level[/b][/p][p]Pirates levelled matters on 51 minutes when [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/moremi-tshepang/QXY2UJk0/"]Tshepang Moremi[/a] rifled the ball into the back of the net after being picked out in space by [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/mbatha-thalente/zuITHrv3/"]Thalente Mbatha[/a]’s pass.[/p][p]It was a nice, composed finish as he netted his fourth league goal of the season, underlining what a fine signing he has been since his arrival from [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/amazulu/4jYGJsW7/"]AmaZulu[/a] at the start of the campaign.[/p][p]Moremi is also pushing hard to be in that World Cup squad and almost had another from a similar situation, but this time Goss made a fine save from a slightly tighter angle. The goalkeeper then recovered from his own error in giving away the ball with a loose pass to deny Moremi once more.[/p][embed guid="0927184a-8540-4767-ad1f-c12a0080ffaa" url="https://x.com/SSFootball/status/2032832932797116718?s=20" social-type="twitter" /][p][b]Masterchef back and more misses[/b][/p][p]Sipho ‘Masterchef’ Mbule came off the bench for just his third appearance since the Africa Cup of Nations after a strange period in which he has not had many minutes.[/p][p]Pirates could need him in the title run-in, so they will hope he can get back to something like his best form.[/p][p]He kept Pirates on the front foot in the final 20 minutes and Mofokeng had a great chance to win it, but his free header was straight at Goss.[/p][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/makgopa-evidence/riFLkbEo/"]Evidence Makgopa[/a]’s spectacular volley flew just wide.[/p][image alt="Betway Premiership standings" id="d050be72-af0d-42da-8a09-3a7213ebdb18" credit-line="Flashscore" guid="65e5fe99-a949-4aa8-b72a-4c4fae0c998e" original-width="1200" original-height="1200" /][p][b]Where does this leave us?[/b][/p][p]Pirates will look at this as two huge points dropped at home in a game they would have expected to win.[/p][p]They now have a one-point lead over second-placed [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/mamelodi-sundowns/lxZ6Bzh6/"]Mamelodi Sundowns[/a], but the latter have a game in hand that will be played on Tuesday when they host struggling Marumo Gallants.[/p][p]That will be a chance for Sundowns to move to the top of the table again and seize the advantage in the title race.[/p][p]Siwelele move five points clear of the drop zone and still have a game in hand.[/p]