Orlando Pirates

**Home colours**

**Away colours**

 File:Orlando Pirates logo.png
**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. 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

 File: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 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

*Main article: 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

Template:Col-begin-small

* File:Flag of Russia.svg Viktor Bondarenko
* Template:Country data Scotland Joe Frickleton (1995)
* File:Flag of South Africa.svg Mike Makaab (1995–96)
* File:Flag of Nigeria.svg Shaibu Amodu (1996–97)
* File:Flag of Romania.svg Ted Dumitru (1999–00)
* File:Flag of South Africa.svg Gordon Igesund (2000–01)
* File:Flag of France.svg Jean-Yves Kerjean (2001–02)
* File:Flag of Zimbabwe.svg Roy Barreto (2002–03)
* File:Flag of Serbia.svg Kosta Papić (July 1, 2004 – Nov 17, 2005)
* File:Flag of Serbia.svg Milutin Sredojević (June 13, 2006 – Jan 16, 2007)
* File:Flag of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.svg Bibey Mutombo*(The style)* (Jan 17, 2007 – Sept 24, 2007)
* File:Flag of South Africa.svg Owen Da Gama (Sept 27, 2007 – June 30, 2008)

* File:Flag of the Netherlands.svg Ruud Krol (July 1, 2008 – June 30, 2011)
* File:Flag of Brazil.svg Júlio César Leal (July 1, 2011 – April 2, 2012)
* File:Flag of Peru.svg Augusto Palacios *(interim)* (March 12, 2012 – Sept 10, 2012)
* File:Flag of South Africa.svg Roger De Sa (Sept 10, 2012 – Jan 31, 2014)
* File:Flag of South Africa.svg Eric Tinkler *(interim)* (Jan 31, 2014 – Feb 14, 2014)
* File:Flag of Serbia.svg Vladimir Vermezović (Feb 14, 2014–15)
* File:Flag of South Africa.svg Eric Tinkler (2015–June 16)
* File:Flag of Turkey.svg Muhsin Ertuğral (June 2016–Nov 1, 2016)
* File:Flag of Peru.svg Augusto Palacios "(interim)" (Nov 2, 2016–Feb 20, 2017)
* File:Flag of Sweden.svg Kjell Jonevret (Feb 20 2017-August 2, 2017)
* File:Flag of Serbia.svg Milutin Sredojevic (August 3, 2017-Present)

## Club records

 File:Orlando pirates youth players.JPG
* 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: File:Flag of South Africa.svg **Irvin Khoza**
* Coach: File:Flag of Serbia.svg Milutin Sredojevic
* Assistant coaches: File:Flag of South Africa.svg **Rhulani Mokwena**

 File:Orlando pirates team photo.jpg
## First team squad

*As of 22 September 2017*
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

### 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.

* Template:Country data GHA Bernard Morrison
* Template:Country data SEN Issa Sarr
* File:Flag of Zimbabwe.svg Marshall Munetsi

### Retired numbers

*Main article: Retired numbers in association football*
* **1** – File:Flag of South Africa.svg Senzo Meyiwa, Goalkeeper - *Posthumous*
* **10** – File:Flag of South Africa.svg Jomo Sono, Midfielder
* **13** – File:Flag of South Africa.svg Clifford Moleko, Midfielder – *Posthumous*
* **22** – File:Flag of South Africa.svg 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

1. ↑ http://www.stadiummanagement.co.za/stadiums/orlando/
2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 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 on 15 May 2010.
3. ↑ Kuper, Simon. "Action Replay: Soweto", *FourFourTwo*, HayMarket, October 2009, pp. 104. Retrieved on 2009-09-03.
4. ↑ Orlando Pirates clinch treble. News24. Retrieved on 12 August 2011.
5. ↑ http://www.flashscore.com/soccer/africa/caf-confederations-cup/
6. ↑ Orlando Pirates: The Pirates who ruled Africa. *FIFA.com*. Fédération Internationale de Football Association. Retrieved on 15 May 2010.
7. ↑ Ellis Park Stadium. *OrlandoPiratesFC.com*. Orlando Pirates FC. Retrieved on 15 May 2010.
8. ↑ Orlando Pirates Football Club. *Superbrands.com/za*. Superbrands. Retrieved on 15 May 2010.

## External links

* **No URL found. Please specify a URL here or add one to Wikidata.**
* Official Twitter page
* Official Facebook Page
* Premier Soccer League
* PSL Club Info
* South African Football Association
* Confederation of African Football

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