A brace from Justin Shonga and a goal from Thembinkosi Lorch handed Orlando Pirates their first win in their CAF Champions League group after beating Horoya AC 3-0 on Friday night at Orlando Stadium.
It could have been more had the Buccaneers taken their chances, although Horoya AC would consider themselves unfortunate given the two goal scoring chances they created before the break.
The South Africans dominated the early exchanges and controlled the possession.
The opening chance of the game arrived in the second minute when Musa Nyatama flicked a shot goalwards from Agustine Mulenga’s supply, only to see Happy Njere tip it out for a corner. Pirates meant business and they were to go on the attack from then on.
In the 25th minute, Oncasey Mandela thought he had won a penalty for Horoya when he went down inside the danger area, after making a good turn. But the referee felt he went down too easily and he was booked instead.
Pirates almost took the lead at half an hour, when Alfred Ndengane got up high to flick a header at goal, but Kante moved quickly to tip the ball around his upright.
At the stroke of halftime, Lorch showed good composure inside the box to smash the ball into the roof of the net with a left-footed strike for a halftime lead.
The goal seemed to spur Pirates on and allowed them to dominate and threaten the Horoya goal at the start of the second stanza.
Lorch continued Pirates’ dominance in the play when he shot from close range, ten minutes after the break, but it failed to hit the target.
Augustine Mulenga made the game certain for the Sea Robbers when he got onto the end of a long ball over the top that caught the Horoya backline flat.
The Zambian pounced again four minutes later when he showed good touch on the run before powering a loop, which beat Abdoulaye Kanté following an error from the Horoya defense.
The teams:
Orlando Pirates Starting XI: Jackson Mabokgwane (GK), Happy Jele, Alfred Ndengane, Asavela Mbekile, Innocent Maela, Augustine Mulenga, Musa Nyatama, Xolani Mlambo, Thembinkosi Lorch, Kudakwashe Mahachi, Justin Shonga
Horoya AC Starting XI; Abdoulaye Kanté, Alseny Camara, Lamine Fofana, Godfred Asante, Hudu Yakubu, Abdoulaye Paye Camara, Sebe Baffour Kyei, Mohammed Djibo, Simeon Bolaji, Boniface Haba, Ocansey Mandela
