Orlando Pirates will play in the CAF Confederation Cup next season after a goalless draw with Tshakhuma Tsha Madzivhandila ensured they finish third in the DStv Premiership this season.
Josef Zinnbauer kept faith with relatively the same squad that played against Baroka, with Terrence Dzvukumanja named on the bench once again.
The Buccaneers started quite brightly with Gabadinho Mhango and Thembinkosi Lorch running circles behind the Tshakuma defence but failed to trouble goalkeeper Washington Arubi.
The Buccaneers kept dominating for large periods, but they found the visitors difficult to break down as they were finding it tough in the final third while deliveries from set-pieces weren’t great either.
The one-way traffic continued for the rest of the half as both goalkeepers failed to make any save although Wayne Sandilands was quick to come off his line to clear the danger in the final five minutes of the first half.
The first real chance of the game came in the 57th minute when Mhango’s shot was deflected into the path of Deon Hotto, whose acrobatic effort was kept out by Arubi.
Hotto didn’t play further part in the game as he was replaced by Dzvukamanja who was hoping to make the kind of impact he had in the game against Baroka on Wednesday evening.
The substitution could have altered the course of the game and nearly paid off with 10 minutes to go, but Dzvukamanja failed to trouble Arubi from range after getting on the end of Kabelo Dlamini’s cross.
Both sides tried to break the deadlock towards the latter stages but they could only settle to share the spoils.
In the end, the encounter finished goalless at Orlando Stadium as the Soweto giants finished third to secure continental football for next season.