Orlando Pirates F.C.
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Full name | Orlando Pirates Football Club | ||
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Nickname(s) | Amabhakabhaka, The Sea Robbers, Bucs, Happy People, Buccaneers, Ezimnyama Ngenkani | ||
Short name | Pirates | ||
Founded | 1937 | , as Orlando Boys Club||
Ground | Orlando Stadium | ||
Capacity | 45,000[1] | ||
Chairman | Irvin Khoza | ||
Manager | Mandla Ncikazi, Fadlu Davids (Caretaker Co-Coaches) | ||
League | DStv Premiership | ||
2020–21 | 3rd | ||
Website | Club website | ||
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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.
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.[citation needed]
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 the 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, Bethuel 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[]
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/55/Orlando_pirates_fans_6.jpg/220px-Orlando_pirates_fans_6.jpg)
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 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.[citation needed]
The Soweto derby[]
The Soweto derby between Kaizer Chiefs and Orlando Pirates is one of the most fiercely contested derbies in world football. The first match between both clubs was on 24 January 1970.[8]
Honours[]
Domestic competitions[]
South African League titles (9):
- Premier Soccer League
- National Soccer League
- Winners (1): 1994
- National Professional Soccer League
- Winners (4): 1971, 1973, 1975, 1976
Cup competitions[]
- Nedbank Cup
- Winaners (8): 1973, 1974, 1975, 1980, 1988, 1996, 2011, 2014
**Runners up : 2017
- Telkom Knockout
- Winners (1): 2011
- Runners up : 2010
- MTN 8
- Winners (10): 1972, 1973, 1978, 1983, 1993, 1996, 2000, 2010, 2011, 2020
- Runners up : 2014
International competitions[]
- CAF Champions League
- Winners (1): 1995
- Runners-up (1): 2013
- CAF Super Cup
- Winners (1) : 1996
- CAF Confederation Cup
- Runners-up(1): 2015
Cup competitions (unofficial)[]
- Castle Challenge
- Winners (1): 1992
- Sales House Cup
- Winners (4): 1972, 1975, 1977, 1983
Reserve and Friendly[]
- Carling Black Label Cup
- Winners (5): 2011, 2012, 2014, 2015, 2019
- PSL Reserve League
- Winners (1): 2007
- Vodacom Challenge
- Winners (2): 1999, 2005
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.
- African Cup of Champions Clubs / CAF Champions League: 10 appearances
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.
Year | Best finish |
---|---|
1995 | Champions |
1996 | Quarter-Final |
1997 | Group Stage |
2002 | Second Round |
2004 | Second Round |
2006 | Semi-Final |
2010 | Preliminary Round |
2012 | Preliminary Round |
2013 | Finalist |
2018–19 | Group Stage |
2019-20 | Preliminary Round |
- CAF Confederation Cup: 3 appearances
- African Cup Winners' Cup: 1 appearance
Year | Best Finish | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
CAF Confederation Cup | African Cup winners' Cup | ||||||
1999 | - | Semi-Final | |||||
2004 | Play-offs | - | |||||
2015 | Finalist | - | |||||
2020–21 | Quarter -Finalist | - |
- CAF Super Cup: 1 appearance
Year | Best finish |
---|---|
1996 | Champions |
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.[citation needed]
Overall matches[]
Competition | P | W | D | L | GF | GA |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
CAF Champions League | 80 | 36 | 24 | 20 | 122 | 69 |
CAF Confederation Cup | 18 | 12 | 2 | 4 | 33 | 22 |
African Cup Winners' Cup | 8 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 24 | 11 |
CAF Super Cup | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
Total | 107 | 55 | 27 | 25 | 180 | 102 |
- As of 20 March 2019
Club Ranking[]
Club ranking for 2021–22 CAF Champions League and 2021–22 CAF Confederation Cup will be based on results from each CAF tournament (Champions League and Confederation Cup) from 2017 to 2020–21.
Updated after CAF Champions League/Confederation Cup matches on 17 July 2021.
Orlando Pirates F.C. Currently Ranked 22nd, as they enter the 2021-22 CAF Confederation Cup after finishing 3rd in the 2020-21 DStv Premiership
Rank | Club | 2017 (× 1) |
2018 (× 2) |
2018–19 (× 3) |
2019–20 (× 4) |
2020–21 (× 5) |
Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | ![]() |
5 | 5 | 3 | 6 | 6 | 78 |
2 | ![]() |
3 | 6 | 6 | 3 | 4 | 65 |
3 | ![]() |
6 | 3 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 63 |
4 | ![]() |
0 | 5 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 54 |
5 | ![]() |
2 | 0 | 5 | 5 | 2 | 47 |
6 | ![]() |
3 | 2 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 46 |
7 | ![]() |
5 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 45 |
8 | ![]() |
0 | 2 | 4 | 5 | 1 | 41 |
9 | ![]() |
1 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 38 |
10 | ![]() |
4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 36 |
11 | ![]() |
0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 3 | 31 |
12 | ![]() |
0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 28 |
13 | ![]() |
1 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 26 |
14 | ![]() |
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 25 |
15 | ![]() |
0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 24 |
16 | ![]() |
0 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 24 |
17 | ![]() |
2 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 21 |
18 | ![]() |
1 | 0.5 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 21 |
19 | ![]() |
2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 19 |
20 | ![]() |
0 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 18 |
21 | ![]() |
1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 16 |
22 | ![]() |
0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 16 |
Notable former coaches[]
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Club records[]
- Most appearances: Happy Jele 401[9]
- 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: 9–1 v Olympics FC (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 | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
P | W | D | L | F | A | GD | Pts | ||
1996–97 | 3rd | 34 | 18 | 10 | 6 | 43 | 27 | 16 | 57 |
1997–98 | 3rd | 34 | 15 | 12 | 7 | 52 | 33 | 19 | 57 |
1998–99 | 3rd | 34 | 17 | 9 | 8 | 55 | 28 | 27 | 60 |
1999–2000 | 2nd | 34 | 18 | 10 | 6 | 72 | 36 | 36 | 64 |
2000–01 | CHAMPIONS | 34 | 16 | 13 | 5 | 60 | 34 | 26 | |
2001–02 | 3rd | 34 | 15 | 12 | 7 | 43 | 31 | 12 | 57 |
2002–03 | CHAMPIONS | 30 | 18 | 7 | 5 | 41 | 16 | 25 | 61 |
2003–04 | 5th | 30 | 13 | 11 | 6 | 45 | 30 | 15 | 50 |
2004–05 | 2nd | 30 | 17 | 9 | 4 | 52 | 29 | 23 | 60 |
2005–06 | 2nd | 30 | 14 | 12 | 4 | 39 | 24 | 15 | 54 |
2006–07 | 5th | 30 | 12 | 10 | 8 | 36 | 30 | 6 | 46 |
2007–08 | 8th | 30 | 12 | 6 | 12 | 38 | 30 | 8 | 42 |
2008–09 | 2nd | 30 | 15 | 10 | 5 | 37 | 20 | 17 | 55 |
2009–10 | 5th | 30 | 10 | 14 | 6 | 26 | 18 | 8 | 44 |
2010–11 | CHAMPIONS | 30 | 17 | 9 | 4 | 41 | 23 | 18 | 60 |
2011–12 | CHAMPIONS | 30 | 17 | 7 | 6 | 39 | 26 | 13 | 58 |
2012–13 | 3rd | 30 | 14 | 10 | 6 | 39 | 23 | 16 | 52 |
2013–14 | 4th | 30 | 13 | 7 | 10 | 30 | 22 | 8 | 46 |
2014–15 | 4th | 30 | 13 | 11 | 6 | 46 | 29 | 17 | 50 |
2015–16 | 7th | 30 | 11 | 8 | 11 | 38 | 30 | 8 | 41 |
2016–17 | 11th | 30 | 6 | 15 | 9 | 29 | 40 | -11 | 33 |
2017–18 | 2nd | 30 | 15 | 10 | 5 | 41 | 26 | 15 | 55 |
2018–19 | 2nd | 30 | 15 | 12 | 3 | 44 | 24 | 20 | 57 |
2019–20 | N/A | 30 | 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[]
![]() | This section does not cite any sources. (July 2021) |
- Chairman/managing director:
Irvin Khoza
- Coach: Vacant
- Assistant coach:
Fadlu Davids
- Assistant coach:
Mandla Ncikazi
- Goalkeeping coach:
Jyri Nieminen
- Strength & conditioning coach:
Franck Plaine
- Conditioning coach:
Stephen Plummer
- Data scientist:
Gavin Smith
- 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
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/fc/Orlando_pirates_team_photo.jpg/220px-Orlando_pirates_team_photo.jpg)
Players[]
First team squad[]
- As of 20 August 2021[10]
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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Sponsorships[]
![]() | This section does not cite any sources. (April 2020) |
- Principal Sponsor: Vodacom
- Official Technical Supplier: Adidas
- Official Bus Partner: Greyhound Lines
- Official Vehicle Sponsor: Ford SA
- Official IT Partner: Acer
- Internet Supplier: SuperSport
- Sleeve Sponsor: Carling Black Label
- Official Video Game Partner: EA Sports
- Sports Nutrition Supplier: USN
- Official Electronics Partner: LG Electronics
- Fuel Supplier: Caltex
- Official Drinks Supplier:
References[]
- ^ "Orlando Stadium sponsored by Lafarge - Stadium Management SA". Retrieved 4 May 2018.
- ^ Jump up to: a b c "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.
- ^ Kuper, Simon (October 2009). "Action Replay: Soweto". FourFourTwo. HayMarket. p. 104.
- ^ "Orlando Pirates clinch treble". News24. Retrieved 12 August 2011.
- ^ "CAF Confederations Cup 2018 live scores, results, Football Africa - FlashScore". flashscore.com. Retrieved 4 May 2018.
- ^ "Orlando Pirates: The Pirates who ruled Africa". FIFA.com. Fédération Internationale de Football Association. Retrieved 15 May 2010.
- ^ "Ellis Park Stadium". OrlandoPiratesFC.com. Orlando Pirates FC. Retrieved 15 May 2010.
- ^ "South Africa's derby goes global". FIFA. Retrieved 17 September 2011.
- ^ "Orlando Pirates Football Club" (PDF). Superbrands.com/za. Superbrands. Archived from the original (PDF) on 16 July 2011. Retrieved 15 May 2010.
- ^ https://www.kickoff.com/news/articles/south-africa-news/categories/news/premiership/orlando-pirates-confirm-2021-22-squad-numbers/704098
External links[]
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Orlando Pirates FC. |
- Orlando Pirates F.C.
- Association football clubs established in 1937
- Soccer clubs in South Africa
- Soweto
- Premier Soccer League clubs
- Soccer clubs in Johannesburg
- 1937 establishments in South Africa