Orlando Pirates F.C.

Orlando Pirates Football Club (often known as Pirates) is a South African professional football club based in the Houghton suburb of the city of Johannesburg and plays in the top-tier system of Football in South Africa known as Premier Soccer League, The team plays its home matches at Orlando Stadium in Soweto.

For the Namibian side of the same name, see Orlando Pirates S.C.

Orlando Pirates
Full nameOrlando Pirates Football Club
Nickname(s)Bucs, Happy People, Amabhakabhaka, The Sea Robbers, Buccaneers,
Ezimnyama Ngenkani
Short namePirates
Founded1937 (1937), as Orlando Boys Club
GroundOrlando Stadium
Capacity37,139[1]
ManagerJosef Zinnbauer
LeagueDStv Premiership
2020–215th
WebsiteClub website

The club was founded in 1937 and was originally based in Orlando, Soweto.[2] They are named 'Pirates' after the 1940 film The Sea Hawk starring Errol Flynn.[3] 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.[4] They are one of 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.[5]

Orlando Pirates drew an average home attendance of 14,533 in the 2016-17 domestic league season. It became the second highest in the league.

History

Orlando Pirates is one of South Africa's oldest football clubs having been established in 1937 in Orlando East, Soweto.[2][6] 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.[2] 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
Orlando Pirates supporters

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 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. Along with Mamelodi Sundowns, the Orlando Pirates 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.[7] It was in the same year that Orlando Pirates achieved Superbrand status. Superbrands is an international company that identifies and rewards the leading brands around the world; Orlando Pirates are the only South African sports team next to the Springboks and Proteas to be given this status.

The Soweto derby
Orlando Pirates Supporters.

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. The first Soweto derby of the 2018-19 Absa Premiership season at the FNB Stadium, with 82,000 capacity was completely sold out, showing the popularity of the contest.

Honours

Domestic competitions

South African League titles (9):

Cup competitions
  • Nedbank Cup
    • Winners (8): 1973, 1974, 1975, 1980, 1988, 1996, 2011, 2014
  • Telkom Knockout
    • Winners (1): 2011
    • Runners up : 2018
  • MTN 8
    • Winners (10): 1972, 1973, 1978, 1983, 1993, 1996, 2000, 2010, 2011, 2020

International competitions

Cup competitions (unofficial)
  • Castle Challenge
    • Winners (1): 1992
  • Sales House Cup
    • Winners (4): 1972, 1975, 1977, 1983

Reserve and Friendly

Performance in CAF Competitions

NB: South African football clubs started participating in CAF Competition's in 1993, after 16 years of being banned from FIFA due to the apartheid system. The ban extended from 1976 to 1992.

The club appeared in the African Cup of Champions Clubs twice (1995, 1996) and have appeared in the CAF Champions League eight times from 1997 to date.

YearBest finish
1995Champions
1996Quarter-Final
1997Group Stage
2002Second Round
2004Second Round
2006Semi-Final
2010Preliminary Round
2012Preliminary Round
2013Finalist
2018-19Group Stage
Year Best Finish
CAF Confederation CupAfrican Cup winners' Cup
1999 - Semi-Final
2004Play-offs -
2015Finalist -
YearBest finish
1996Champions

Note

  • Orlando Pirates did not make an appearance in the CAF Cup, they qualified for the 2001 CAF Cup, but withdrew from the competition. As the cup was intended for league runners-up their place in the tournament was then extended to Kaizer Chiefs who had finished third, but they declined as they had already qualified for the more prestigious 2001 African Cup Winners' Cup. Pirates' place in the tournament was then extended to and taken by Ajax Cape Town.

Overall matches
Competition PWDLGFGA
CAF Champions League 8036242012269
CAF Confederation Cup 1812243322
African Cup Winners' Cup 86112411
CAF Super Cup 110010
Total 107552725180102
As of 20 March 2019

Notable former coaches

Club records
Orlando Pirates youth team players.
  • Most appearances: Willy Okpara 375[8]
  • Most goals: Benedict Vilakazi 52
  • Most capped player: Teko Modise 58 (South Africa)
  • Most appearances in a season: Senzo Meyiwa 51 (2013–2014), Oupa Manyisa 51 (2013–14) and Willy Okpara 51 (1994–1995)
  • Most goals in a season: Dennis Lota 23 (1999–00)
  • Record win: 10–1 v Kaizer Chiefs (Bob Save Super Bowl, 7 March 1999)
  • Record loss: 0–6 vs Mamelodi Sundowns (League, 11 February 2017) Loftus Versfeld Stadium, Pretoria
  • Most games unbeaten: 17 (1975, 2005)
  • Most goals scored in a season: 61 (1989)
  • Most goals conceded in a season: 60 (1986)
  • Most wins in a season: 19 (1990)
  • Fewest wins in a season: 5 (1985)
  • Most defeats in a season: 15 (1985)
  • Fewest defeats in a season: 3 (1994)

Premier Soccer League record
Season Pos. Record
PWDLFAGDPts
1996–973rd 34 18 10 6 43 27 16 57
1997–983rd 34 15 12 7 52 33 19 57
1998–993rd 34 17 9 8 55 28 27 60
1999–20002nd 34 18 10 6 72 36 36 64
2000–01CHAMPIONS 34 16 13 5 60 34 26 61
2001–023rd 34 15 12 7 43 31 12 57
2002–03CHAMPIONS 30 18 7 5 41 16 25 61
2003–045th 30 13 11 6 45 30 15 50
2004–052nd 30 17 9 4 52 29 23 60
2005–062nd 30 14 12 4 39 24 15 54
2006–075th 30 12 10 8 36 30 6 46
2007–088th 30 12 6 12 38 30 8 42
2008–092nd 30 15 10 5 37 20 17 55
2009–105th 30 10 14 6 26 18 8 44
2010–11CHAMPIONS 30 17 9 4 41 23 18 60
2011–12CHAMPIONS 30 17 7 6 39 26 13 58
2012–133rd 30 14 10 6 39 23 16 52
2013–144th 30 13 7 10 30 22 8 46
2014–154th 30 13 11 6 46 29 17 50
2015–167th 30 11 8 11 38 30 8 41
2016–1711th 30 6 15 9 29 40 -11 33
2017–182nd 30 15 10 5 41 26 15 55
2018–192nd 30 15 12 3 44 24 20 57
2019-20in progress 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Total 4 titles 714 331 234 149 986 626 360 1227

|green=In progress |Gold=CHAMPIONS |Silver=Runners-up

As of 21 May 2019

Club officials/Technical team
  • Chairman/managing director: Irvin Khoza
  • Coach: Josef Zinnbauer
  • Assistant coach: Fadlu Davids
  • GoalKeeper coach: Jyri Nieminen
  • Finishing coach: Stéphane Lucien Adam
  • Strength & conditioning coach: Franck Plaine
  • Conditioning coach: Stephen Plummer
  • Sport scientist: Warren Engelbrecht
  • Performance analyst: Michael Loftman
  • Performance analyst: Kyle Solomon
  • Performance analyst: Darian Wilken
  • Physiotherapist: Kutlwano Molefe
  • Physiotherapist: John Williams
  • Kit manager: Donovan Lekgothoane
  • Kit manager: Funky Mokoalase
  • Kit manager: Itumeleng Khoza
  • Kit manager: Pule Sithebe
Orlando Pirates starting line-up in 2009.

Players

First team squad
As of 16 October 2020[9]

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

No. Pos. Nation Player
2 DF  RSA James Monyane
3 FW  RSA Thembinkosi Lorch
4 DF  RSA Happy Jele (captain)
5 DF  RSA Ntsikelelo Nyauza
6 MF  RSA Ben Motshwari
7 FW  MWI Gabadinho Mhango
8 MF  RSA Siphesihle Ndlovu
9 FW  RSA Tshegofatso Mabasa
11 MF  NAM Deon Hotto
12 MF  RSA Collins Makgaka
14 DF  RSA Thulani Hlatshwayo
15 MF  RSA Fortune Makaringe
16 MF  RSA Thabang Monare
17 DF  RSA Wayde Jooste
18 MF  RSA Kabelo Dlamini
No. Pos. Nation Player
19 DF  RSA Bongani Sam
21 MF  RSA Nkanyiso Zungu
23 DF  RSA Innocent Maela
25 FW  RSA Zakhele Lepasa
26 FW  ZAM Austin Muwowo
29 DF  RSA Paseka Mako
30 GK  RSA Wayne Sandilands
31 GK  GHA Richard Ofori
32 MF  RSA Linda Mntambo
37 FW  ZIM Terrence Dzvukamanja
39 FW  COD Jean-Marc Makusu Mundele
40 GK  RSA Siyabonga Mpontshane
44 MF  RSA Abel Mabaso
45 FW  RSA Vincent Pule

Sponsorships

References
  1. "Orlando Stadium sponsored by Lafarge - Stadium Management SA". Retrieved 4 May 2018.
  2. "History – Chapter 1: A)Orlando Pirates are famously known for being the first South African team to win the African Champions League in 1995. BUILDING THE HOUSE OF PIRATES (1937–59)". OrlandoPiratesFC.com. Orlando Pirates FC. Retrieved 15 May 2010.
  3. Kuper, Simon (October 2009). "Action Replay: Soweto". FourFourTwo. HayMarket. p. 104.
  4. "Orlando Pirates clinch treble". News24. Retrieved 12 August 2011.
  5. "CAF Confederations Cup 2018 live scores, results, Football Africa - FlashScore". www.flashscore.com. Retrieved 4 May 2018.
  6. "Orlando Pirates: The Pirates who ruled Africa". FIFA.com. Fédération Internationale de Football Association. Retrieved 15 May 2010.
  7. "Ellis Park Stadium". OrlandoPiratesFC.com. Orlando Pirates FC. Retrieved 15 May 2010.
  8. "Orlando Pirates Football Club" (PDF). Superbrands.com/za. Superbrands. Archived from the original (PDF) on 16 July 2011. Retrieved 15 May 2010.
  9. https://www.orlandopiratesfc.com/official-jersey-numbers-revealed.html
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