Nigerian defender Olisa Ndah has won the MTN8 Cup with Orlando Pirates after a 3-1 penalty shootout win over Mamelodi Sundowns on Saturday, www.aclsports.com reports.
— Orlando Pirates (@orlandopirates) October 7, 2023
#OrlandoPirates#OnceAlways pic.twitter.com/81PioV4c3P
The entertaining final ended goalless after 120 minutes and it was during the shootout that Orlando Pirates goalie Sipho Chaine made three saves to help the Buccaneers triumph in Durban.
The 25-year-old defender, who has been enduring a tough start to the season having missed large parts of last season due to a lingering knee problem, got his first minutes when he replaced Nkosinathi Sibisi in the 34th minute.
The epic final was keenly contested by the two teams as unbeaten Sundowns were looking to claim the first title of the 2023/24 season.
Pirates had Monnapule Saleng back alongside Kermit Erasmus, who started against his former side, while goalkeeper Rowen Williams, Marcelo Allende, Neo Maema and Peter Shalulile were back in the Sundowns side.
Both sides found chances to take the lead at halftime, but lacked the decisiveness to rattle the back of the net and entered the break goalless.
After the interval, Shalulile fired over from inside the area, while a snap clearance by Ndah was pounced on by Allende who worked a low save off Chaine.
Pirates could have snatched the cup in the dying minutes through Saleng’s near post effort after a cutback from Erasmus, but he hit the side-netting and led the match to extra-time and subsequently penalties.
In the end, Chaine saved three consecutive spot-kicks in the shoot-out before Karim Kimvuidi fired in the winning kick to see the Buccaneers clinch the MTN8 for the second year running.
It is the third silverware in twelve months for Olisa Ndah and Pirates after they won the MTN8 last November and the Nedbank Cup in May.
Having played a nearly 90 minutes in the final, Ndah will be hopeful that he will get more minutes under coach Jose Riveiro.
