Orlando Pirates

Orlando Pirates Football Club are a professional football club in South Africa, based in the Houghton suburb of the city of Johannesburg and plays in the top tier system of South African football known as Premier Soccer League.
The club was founded in 1937 and was originally based in Orlando, Soweto. They are named 'Pirates' after the 1940 film The Sea Hawk starring Errol Flynn. 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 the one of the 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.http://www.flashscore.com/soccer/africa/caf-confederations-cup/ Orlando Pirates remains the only team since the inception of the PSL in 1996 to have been always in the top eight bracket.
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.
One their biggest rivalries besides the one with Kaizer Chiefs is the rivalry with Moroka Swallows.
==History==
Orlando Pirates is one of South Africa's oldest football clubs having been established in 1937 in Orlando East, Soweto. 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. 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===
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. Pirates were and still 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.
===The Soweto derby===
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.
==Honours==
=== Domestic competitions ===
* Premier Soccer League
** Winners (4): 2000-01, 2002–03, 2010–11, 2011–12
* National Soccer League
** Winners (1): 1994
*National Premier Soccer League
** Winners (4): 1971, 1973, 1975, 1976
* Nedbank Cup
** Winners (8): 1973, 1974, 1975, 1980, 1988, 1996, 2011, 2014
* Telkom Knockout 
** Winners (1): 2011
* MTN 8 
** Winners (9): 1972, 1973, 1978, 1983, 1993, 1996, 2000, 2010, 2011
* Castle Challenge
** Winners (1): 1992
* Sales House Cup 
** Winners (4): 1972, 1975, 1977, 1983
=== 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
===Reserve and Friendly===
* Carling Black Label Cup 
** Winners (4): 2011, 2012, 2014, 2015
* PSL Reserve League 
** Winners (1): 2007
* Vodacom Challenge 
** Winners (2): 1999, 2005
==Notable former coaches==
* Viktor Bondarenko
* Joe Frickleton (1995)
* Mike Makaab (1995–96)
* Shaibu Amodu (1996–97)
* Ted Dumitru (1999–00)
* Gordon Igesund (2000–01)
* Jean-Yves Kerjean (2001–02)
* Roy Barreto (2002–03)
* Kosta Papić (July 1, 2004 – Nov 17, 2005)
* Milutin Sredojević (June 13, 2006 – Jan 16, 2007)
* Bibey Mutombo(The style) (Jan 17, 2007 – Sept 24, 2007)
* Owen Da Gama (Sept 27, 2007 – June 30, 2008)
* Ruud Krol (July 1, 2008 – June 30, 2011)
* Júlio César Leal (July 1, 2011 – April 2, 2012)
* Augusto Palacios (interim) (March 12, 2012 – Sept 10, 2012)
* Roger De Sa (Sept 10, 2012 – Jan 31, 2014)
* Eric Tinkler (interim) (Jan 31, 2014 – Feb 14, 2014)
* Vladimir Vermezović (Feb 14, 2014–15)
* Eric Tinkler (2015–June 16)
* Muhsin Ertuğral (June 2016–Nov 1, 2016)
* Augusto Palacios "(interim)" (Nov 2, 2016–Feb 20, 2017)
* Kjell Jonevret (Feb 20 2017-August 2, 2017)
* Milutin Sredojevic (August 3, 2017-Present)
==Club records==
thumb|Orlando Pirates youth team players.
*Most appearances: William Okpara 375
*Most goals: Benedict Vilakazi 52
*Most capped Player: Teko Modise 57 (South Africa)
*Most appearances in a season: Oupa Manyisa and Senzo Meyiwa 51 (2013–14)
*Most goals in a season: Dennis Lota 23 (1999–00)
*Record win: 9–1 v Olympics (Bob Save Super Bowl 07/03/1999)
*Record loss: 0-6 vs Mamelodi Sundowns (League 11/02/2017) Loftus Versfeld Stadium, Pretoria
===Premier Soccer League record===
*2016/2017 – 11th
*2015/2016 – 7th
*2014/2015 – 4th
*2013/2014 – 4th
*2012/2013 – 3rd
*2011/2012 – 1st
*2010/2011 – 1st
*2009/2010 – 5th
*2008/2009 – 2nd
*2007/2008 – 8th
*2006/2007 – 5th
*2005/2005 – 2nd
*2004/2005 – 2nd
*2003/2004 – 5th
*2002/2003 – 1st
*2001/2002 – 3rd
*2000/2001 – 1st
*1999/2000 – 2nd
*1998/1999 – 3rd
*1997/1998 – 3rd
*1996/1997 – 3rd
==Club officials/Technical team==
*Chairman and MD: Irvin Khoza
*Coach: Milutin Sredojevic
*Assistant coaches: Rhulani Mokwena
==First team squad==
===Foreigners===
In the South African PSL, only five non-South African nationals can be registered. Foreign players who have acquired permanent residency can be registered as locals.
* Bernard Morrison
* Issa Sarr
* Marshall Munetsi
===Retired numbers===
* 1 – Senzo Meyiwa, Goalkeeper - Posthumous
*10 – Jomo Sono, Midfielder
*13 – Clifford Moleko, Midfielder – Posthumous
*22 – Lesley Manyathela, Forward (2000–03) – Posthumous
==Notable former players==
* Lesley Manyathela (Slow Poison)
* Steve Lekolea (Chippa)
* Benedict Vilakazi (Tso)
==Shirt sponsor & kit manufacturer==
*Principal Sponsor: Vodacom
*Official Technical Supplier: Adidas
*Transport Supplier: Greyhound
* Official Vehicle Sponsor: Ford SA
*Official IT Partner: Acer
*Internet Supplier: SuperSport New Media
*Carling Black Label
==References==
==External links==
* 
*Official Twitter page
*Official Facebook Page
*Premier Soccer League
*PSL Club Info
*South African Football Association
*Confederation of African Football
 
Category:Association football clubs established in 1937
Category:Soccer clubs in South Africa
Category:Soweto
Category:Premier Soccer League clubs
Category:Soccer clubs in Johannesburg
Category:1937 establishments in South Africa