Bacela shines as Pirates rout Arrows

Football | Telkom Knockout

CAF Champions League finalists Orlando Pirates booked their place in the semifinals of the Telkom Knockout with an emphatic 4-0 victory over Golden Arrows at the Orlando Stadium on Tuesday night.
Lennox Bacela’s hat-trick was the foundation of Bucs’ win while Kermit Erasmus got the other goal for the home side.
After a first ten minutes where the game started off at a rapid pace with both teams, especially Pirates moving the ball brilliantly among themselves, it was no surprise as they opened the scoring.
Khethowakhe Masuku, who was deputising for the injured Tlou Segolela in this match, sent in a brilliant cross from the right flank and Bacela powerfully headed home from close range to make it 1-0 in the 11th minute.


The same combination nearly proved fruitful for the Buccaneers seven minutes later.
Masuku delivered a low cross into the box and Bacela sliced the ball across the face of goal as it agonisingly went wide with Arrows keeper Siya Mngoma completely beaten.
On the half hour mark, Masuku was the provider and Bacela was on the receiving end once again. The former Bloemfontein Celtic forward met Masuku’s cross with a good header, but it went marginally wide.
Bucs made it 2-0 in the 34th minute from a set piece situation. Masuku supplied a good cross from the free-kick out wide on the right flank, Bacela cut it back from the byline with a header and Erasmus smashed it home.

Three minutes before the interval, Pirates confirmed their dominance as they made it 3-0. Playmaker Oupa Manyisa dummied the Arrows defence as he pretended to load a shot, but then he laid the ball off to Bacela who fired home with a first time shot.
Bacela completed his hat-trick in the 57th minute. Masuku won the ball for Pirates on the side of the pitch and fed Erasmus who with his pass to Bacela eliminated the Arrows defenders and Bacela showed composure to calmly finish from close range.