Orlando Pirates F.C.

For the Namibian side of the same name, see Orlando Pirates S.C.
Orlando Pirates
Full name Orlando Pirates Football Club
Nickname(s)
  • The Sea Robbers
  • Bucs
  • Happy People
  • Buccaneers
  • Ezimnyama Ngenkani
  • Ezikamagebhula
Mabakabaka
Short name Pirates
Founded 1937, as Orlando Boys Club
Ground Orlando Stadium
Capacity 37,139
Chairman Irvin Khoza
Manager Jose Riverio
League DStv Premiership
2022–23 2nd of 16
Website Club website

Orlando Pirates Football Club (often known as "The Buccaneers") is a South African professional football club based in Orlando, Soweto and plays in the top-tier system of Football in South Africa known as DStv Premiership. The team plays its home matches at Orlando Stadium in Soweto.

The club was founded in 1937 and was originally based in Orlando, Soweto. They were named "amapirate" which means 'Pirates' in IsiZulu after the band of teenagers that originally formed an amateur football club at Orlando Boys Club broke away and started congregating at the home of one of the people that worked at Orlando Boys Club. 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. 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 the 2015 and 2021–2022 CAF Confederation Cup.

Pirates have won 9 league titles and 36 trophies in total.

History

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

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. The original club was formed in 1934 by a group of teenagers at the Orlando Boys Club. Andries Mkhwanazi, popularly known as "Pele Pele", was a boxing instructor at the Orlando Boys Club when he encouraged formation of a football club in 1937 and a year later those teenagers were competing among the minors of the Johannesburg Bantu Football Association barefoot and without a team kit.

In 1940, Bethuel Mokgosinyane, the first president, bought the first team kit with his own funds. Orlando Boys participated in Johannesburg Bantu Football Association's Saturday League, where they won the Division Two title and gained promotion to Division One in 1944. 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 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.

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.

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. 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

The Soweto derby between Kaizer Chiefs and Orlando Pirates is fiercely contested derby. The first match was on 24 January 1970.

Honours

Domestic competitions

South African League titles (9):

Cup competitions

  • Nedbank Cup
    • Champions (9): 1973, 1974, 1975, 1980, 1988, 1996, 2011, 2014, 2023
    • Runners up : 2006 (absa cup by then), 2016, 2017
  • Telkom Knockout
    • Champions (1): 2011
    • Runners up : 2000 (Rothmans Cup by then), 2010, 2018
  • MTN 8
    • Champions (12): 1972, 1973, 1978, 1983, 1993, 1996, 2000, 2010, 2011, 2020, 2022, 2023
    • Runners up : 2007, 2014

International competitions

Cup competitions (unofficial)

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

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 ten times from 1997 to date. The club has been knocked out 4 times in the preliminary round out of the last 6 appearances.

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
2023-24 Preliminary Round
Year Best Finish
CAF Confederation Cup African Cup winners' Cup
1999 - Semi-Final
2004 Play-offs -
2015 Finalist -
2020–21 Quarter -Finalist -
2021–22 Finalist -
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.

Overall matches

Competition P W D L GF GA
CAF Champions League 80 36 24 20 122 69
CAF Confederation Cup 21 15 2 4 38 22
African Cup Winners' Cup 8 6 1 1 24 11
CAF Super Cup 1 1 0 0 1 0
Total 110 58 27 25 180 102
As of 27 September 2021

Crest and colours

Kit manufacturers and shirt sponsors

Period Kit manufacturer Shirt sponsor Ref
1997-99 Adidas Alpha Cement
1999-2000 ? Adidas
2000-23 Adidas Vodacom

Club Ranking

As of 2 September 2023, Orlando Pirates are ranked 16th in the 2023-24 CAF 5-year ranking.

Rank Club 2018–19
(× 1) 		2019–20
(× 2) 		2020–21
(× 3) 		2021–22
(× 4) 		2022–23
(× 5) 		Total
15 USM Alger 0 1 0 0 5 27
16 Orlando Pirates 2 0 2 4 0 24
17 Al-Hilal 2 2 1 1 2 23

Notable former coaches

Club records

Orlando Pirates youth team players.
  • Most appearances: Happy Jele 401
  • 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 Division record

Key
Champions
Runners-up
Third place
In progress
Season Position Record
Pld W D L GF GA 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 61
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 3rd 30 14 10 6 40 29 11 52
2020–21 3rd 30 13 11 6 33 22 11 50
2021–22 6th 30 10 14 6 34 28 6 44
2022–23 2nd 30 16 6 8 40 21 19 54

Coaching staff

Position Name
Chairman/managing director Irvin Khoza
Head coach José Riveiro
Assistant coach Mandla Ncikazi
Striker Coach Scott Chickelday
Orlando Pirates starting line-up in 2009.
Back row L–R Benson Mhlongo ©, Lucky Lekgwathi, Moeneeb Josephs, Lucas Thwala, Rooi Mahamutsa and Happy Jele;
Front row L–R Andile Jali, Thulasizwe Mbuyane, Dikgang Mabalane, Katlego Mashego and Teko Modise.

Players

First team squad

As of 13 March 2023

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 Thabiso Monyane
3 MF RSA Thembinkosi Lorch
4 MF RSA Miguel Timm (vice captain)
5 DF RSA Nkosinathi Sibisi


7 MF NAM Deon Hotto
8 MF RSA Thabang Monare
9 FW RSA Zakhele Lepasa
11 MF RSA Fortune Makaringe
12 MF RSA Katlego Otladisa
14 MF RSA Monnapule Saleng (vice Captain)
15 MF RSA Ndabayithethwa Ndlondlo
16 MF RSA Makhehleni Makhaula
17 FW RSA Evidence Makgopa
18 MF RSA Kabelo Dlamini
No. Pos. Nation Player
21 MF RSA Lesedi Kapinga
23 DF RSA Innocent Maela (captain)
24 GK RSA Sipho Chaine
25 MF COD Karim Kimvuidi
26 MF RSA Bandile Shandu
27 DF RSA Tapelo Xoki (vice captain)
28 FW RSA Patrick Maswanganyi
29 DF RSA Paseka Mako
30 MF RSA Siphelo Baloni
31 GK GHA Richard Ofori
32 FW CMR Souaibou Marou
33 FW CMR Bienvenu Eva Nga
34 FW RSA Azola Matrose
35 GK RSA Melusi Buthelezi
38 FW RSA Relebohile Ratomo
39 DF RSA Sandile Mthethwa
40 GK RSA Siyabonga Mpontshane
45 FW RSA Vincent Pule
49 DF NGA Olisa Ndah
95 FW RSA Kermit Erasmus