Augustine Mulenga and Gladwin Shitolo both scored for the Buccaneers, while Matsatsantsa's goals were netted by Dean Furman and Evans Rusike Orlando Pirates lost 4-3 on penalties to SuperSport United in the 2018 MTN8 Cup quarter-final match following a 2-2 draw at the Orlando Stadium Milutin Sredojevic made four changes to the team that started against Chippa United in a PSL match which ended 1-0 win in favour of Pirates in Port Elizabeth in midweek. Linda Mntambo and Ben Motshwari were handed their official debuts as Bucs made their return to the lucrative competition having missed out on last season's tournament. Kaitano Tembo also made four changes to his team having guided his side to a narrow 1-0 victory over AmaZulu FC in a PSL encounter which was played in Pretoria in midweek. Ghampani Lungu made his full debut for Matsatsantsa, who were looking to start their MTN8 defence with a victory over a confident Bucs side in Orlando. The match got off to a lively start with both teams launching attacks and it was the hosts, who threatened first through their lively forward Augustine Mulenga. The Zambia international found some space outside the SuperSport box and he unleashed a shot which missed the target without troubling goalkeeper Ronwen Williams. However, Williams was beaten by Mulenga following a good move involving former Chippa attacking midfielder Mntambo on the edge of the Matsatsantsa box in the 14th minute. Mntambo combined with Mulenga, who then made a run into the box, before firing past South Africa international Williams to make it 1-0 to Pirates much to the delight of the home crowd. Matsatsantsa then took control of the match and they came very close to levelling matters through their starlet Teboho Mokoena. The former South Africa under-20 international pulled the trigger from range and his effort narrowly missed the target as the Buccaneers began to feel the pressure for the visitors. SuperSport did equalize just after the half-hour mark and it was Dean Furman, who scored with a long-range shot which curled into the bottom corner to make it 1-1. Pirates tried to respond with a goal with the half-time break fast approaching, but the SuperSport defence looked solid and impenetrable. The two teams were locked at 1-1 at the interval following a lively first half at the Mecca of South African football, Orlando Stadium. An entertaining second half followed as both teams launched attacks in search of more goals and it was SuperSport, who scored the next goal in the 49th minute. The Pirates defence were caught ball watching and Evans Rusike beat Pirates keeper Siyabonga Mpontshane with a low shot to make it 2-1 to SuperSport with Bradley Grobler grabbing an assist. Micho reacted by pulling out Mntambo and the former Rwanda head coach introduced Thembinkosi Lorch as the Buccaneers looked to restore parity. The hosts did find the equalizing goal when Xola Mlambo's shot was turned home by his Pirates team-mate Gladwin Shitolo to make it 2-2 with SuperSport defence exposed. Matsatsantsa tried to respond with a goal, but Mpontshane produced a magnificent finger-tipping save to deny Zimbabwe international Rusike, who was looking to grab his brace. It was end-to-end stuff in the closing stages of the game as Bucs second-half substitute Thamsanqa Gabuza's shot was well-saved by Williams and Vincent Pule missed the target from the rebound. Pirates and SuperSport were unable to find a late winning goal in the latter stages of the game and extra-time followed after the game ended in a 2-2 draw in regulation time. Article continues below The visitors were happy to sit back and contain the hosts, but they conceded a penalty after Gabuza was fouled by SuperSport's hard-tackling defender Morgan Gould. Mulenga the stepped up and he was denied by Williams from the spot-kick in the second half of extra-time. Ultimately, the game ended in a 2-2 stalemate and a penalty shootout followed. SuperSport progressed to the semi-finals after defeating Pirates 4-3 on penalties after Lorch and Innocent Maela had failed to score from the spot-kick.<doc-sep>Holders SuperSport United bundled Orlando Pirates out of the MTN8 quarter-final on Saturday but it took post-match penalties to separate the two clubs on a cold night at the Orlando Stadium. The Bucanneers had the majority of the play and two glorious chances to wrap up the tie but squandered them and paid the price with elimination. James Keene delivered the killer blow to win the shootout after Pirates’ Innocent Maela had his kick saved and Thembinkosi Lorch missed in the post-match shootout for the home team. SuperSport started the game in unusual formation by pushing four forwards right on top of the Pirates defence and making things uncomfortable for their hosts but the ploy did not last long and within eight minutes the Buccaneers had their first chance after SuperSport’s new Zambian signing Ghampani Lungu, making his debut, lost possession and Maela finished poorly after being set up by Vincent Pule. Seven minutes after that, Pirates had the ball in the net after a series of combination passes saw the Zambian attacking duo of Augustine Mulenga and Justin Shonga combine and Mulenga toe poke the ball to the left of SuperSport goalkeeper Ronwen Williams for the opener. Pirates had control but allowed their visitors to come back into the game after a fine individual effort from Dean Furman ensured parity in the 33rd minute. He was involved in the build-up from deep in his own half, surging forward to both spray and then collect passes with Evans Rusike finally setting up Furman to run onto the ball and then curl a left footed shot past Siyabonga Mpontshane. It was only Furman’s fourth goal in SuperSport colours but one that displayed both his application and desire. But within five minutes Furman was guilty of being caught with the ball on the edge of his own area, then disposed and allowing Shonga to burst through on goal and it needed a superb tackle from Clayton Daniels to ensure the two sides went level into the break. Rusike had two efforts inside the opening two minutes of the second half before the third was ruthlessly buried to give SuperSport the lead. Pirates looked as if they had not switched on after the break and paid the price. But with an hour gone it was level again. SuperSport made heavy work of clearing a corner despite having plenty players back in defence. The ball banged around like it was in a pinball machine before falling for Xola Mlambo, whose shot took a deflection off teammate Gladwin Shitolo and went into the net. Shitolo knew little about it but, as he had the last touch, it was his goal. Pule had the goal at his mercy five minutes from the end of regulation time when Thamsanqa Gabuza’s initial effort was saved by Williams and the rebound was there to be finished. But Pule conjured up a horror miss to ensure the game went into extra time, where play became laboured and produced no more clear cut chances. Then with seven minutes left of extra time, Morgan Gould tugged back Gabuza in a moment of madness to concede a penalty. But Mulenga had his spot kick expertly saved by Williams. The penalty shootout again saw Williams make a key save to keep up this reputation as the best in the business in the spot kick lottery.<doc-sep>Milutin Sredojevic unhappy with Orlando Pirates defence after MTN8 Cup exit Bucs were eliminated from the lucrative competition after losing to the defending champions Orlando Pirates coach Milutin Sredojevic was left to rue his side’s missed chances following their encounter with SuperSport United on Saturday night. The Buccaneers were eliminated from this year’s MTN8 Cup after losing 4-3 on penalties to Matsatsantsa following a 2-2 stalemate at the Mecca of South African football, Orlando Stadium. Augustine Mulenga handed Pirates an early lead, but Dean Furman levelled matters for SuperSport, who then took the lead through Evans Rusike. However, the match ended in a draw after Gladwin Shitolo grabbed an equalizer for Bucs. The Serbian coach, who is expected to win at least one major trophy this season, was unhappy with how his charges defended on the night. “First of all, we started the game very well. Scored that goal and then in a short period of time, we conceded,” Sredojevic told SuperSport TV. “We came back strongly, played much better. Had that chance to win it in regulation time with a penalty, it did not happen," he said. “Usually teams that miss chances like that one is mentally down. It looked like we were going to penalties. We missed those penalties, opponents scored and they won,” he continued. SuperSport goalkeeper Ronwen Williams denied Pirates full-back Innocent Maela during the penalty shootout, while Thembinkosi Lorch missed his spot-kick. “Penalties are a lottery. Football has once more shown to us, something that is the truth, football is not what you deserve but what you get,” Sredojevic said. “If it is about deserving, I believe with all the domination we had we were supposed to win today’s game but we didn’t. We need to accept this, pick up the pieces and go back to the drawing board and continue working,” he added. Matsatsantsa were happy to sit back and defend too deep in extra-time, but they conceded a penalty after Thamsanqa Gabuza was fouled by Morgan Gould. Article continues below However, Williams produced a fine save to deny Zambia international Mulenga from the spot-kick. “It’s unacceptable to concede goals the way we did from the areas we supposed to protect. Practically both goals came from the same area where we shouldn’t concede such goals,” he said. “We need to improve effectiveness in front of goals. It’s good to play in front of a reinforced defence to learn how to play against teams that are reinforcing defences to create more chances and entrances in attack and how to utilise what brings what you need to win – which is to score goals,” he concluded.<doc-sep>
Orlando Pirates coach Milutin Sredojevic opted for a philosophical view after elimination from the MTN8 late on Saturday night‚ proclaiming that “the game does not forgive mistakes”. The Pirates coach added that in football “it is not about what you deserve but what you get”. Pirates were knocked out by holders SuperSport United 4-3 on penalties following a 2-2 draw after extra time at the Orlando Stadium. He is obviously bitterly disappointed after Pirates let slip an early lead‚ missed a sitter just before the end of regulation time‚ squandered a penalty in extra time and were then knocked out in post-match penalty shootout. “We started well but what was unacceptable was to open that zone from where SuperSport score many goals and concede a goal from that so-called ‘golden area’ in front of the defence‚" he said. "No one was there to apply the block. “Secondly‚ also from the transition we made two similar mistakes and in a game like this one it does not forgive you." Augustine Mulenga had Pirates 1-0 up after 15 minutes but Dean Furman scored a sumptuous equaliser from the edge of the box with his left foot to level the scores before half-time. Evans Rusike then eased through to make it 2-1 to SuperSport shortly after the interval. Pirates were level at 2-2 after a deflection off Gladwin Shitolo in the 60th minute. “Anyhow‚ we found the strength to come back‚ to score that equalising goal‚" the Bucs coach said. "We dominated mostly and we did our best to finish it off before we were forced to go to penalties‚ which we know is a lottery. “We had a golden chance to finish the match in regular time and missed that penalty.” After Vincent Pule conjoured up a horror miss in the 85th minute‚ SuperSport centre-back Morgan Gould fouled Thamsanqa Gabuza in his own area with just seven minutes of extra time left to allow Pirates to seal it but Ronwen Williams made a diving stop to deny Mulenga. “Usually when you go into penalties (shootout) the team that has missed a penalty during the match is psychologically down. "We tried to encourage the players to still go and try and get a victory from the penalties but it was not meant to be‚” added the Pirates coach. “It was a good competitive match with four goals in regular time but unfortunately we couldn’t go through and follow our target. “Football has shown us something that is a big truth of the game and that is it’s not about what you deserve but what you get. "If it was about deserving‚ then we deserved more but we got what we got. "We are so disappointed‚ but we need to pick up the pieces. “The league continues for us on Wednesday and we need to find the mental strength from this disappointment to bounce back stronger.” Pirates host Bidvest Wits at the Orlando Stadium on Wednesday in their third game of the new Absa Premiership campaign.