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Phuthaditjhaba - Free State Stars recorded their first victory over Orlando Pirates in well over a decade with a 1-0 win at the Charles Mopeli Stadium on Wednesday night.
Ea Lla Koto had last beaten the Buccaneers in 1998/99 - also by a 1-0 score line - until Noah Chivuta struck in injury time to hand the Free State side a narrow but deserved victory.
It is Pirates’ third loss in the Absa Premiership this season and although there is still a long way to go in the championship race, their hopes of defending their title already look under threat.
The hosts could have opened the scoring in just the fourth minute, but fullback Rudiger Gilbert scooped his shot over the crossbar.
Pirates also had early shots at goal through Andile Jali and Ruben Cloete, but both were comfortably handled by Stars' keeper Kennedy Mweene.
Midway through the first half Pirates created a good opportunity to open the scoring through midfielder Oupa Manyisa, but he put his headed effort over the target.
The remainder of the half saw both teams struggle to create further chances and it was no surprise that the half-time score was 0-0.
The second half continued in much the same vein as the first, but as the clock wound down it was the home team who gained the ascendancy and began to turn the screw on their more illustrious visitors.
With just over ten minutes to play, Stars very nearly broke the deadlock, as Brown got a shot on target only to see it cleared away from danger by Bucs defender Happy Jele.
The hosts continued to look the likelier scorers as full-time neared, with striker Boitumelo Sekgobela shooting just wide of the near post on 84 minutes.
In injury time Ea Lla Koto were finally rewarded for their persistence, with Chivuta scoring directly from a free kick to hand them a famous victory.
Scorers:
Free State Stars (0) 1 (Chivuta 90+3’)
Orlando Pirates 0
Teams:
Free State Stars: Mweene; Gilbert, Ouro-Akoriko, Mosikidi (Brown 58’), Gcaba; Coetzee (Wome 64’), Masehe, Moholo (Chivuta 62’), Gege, Mashego; Sekgobela
Orlando Pirates: Josephs (Meyiwa 66’); Jele, Lekgwathi, Sangweni, Cloete; Doutie, Manyisa, Jali, Bester; Mabena (Chansa 78’), McCarthy (Ndulula 71’)
Ea Lla Koto had last beaten the Buccaneers in 1998/99 - also by a 1-0 score line - until Noah Chivuta struck in injury time to hand the Free State side a narrow but deserved victory.
It is Pirates’ third loss in the Absa Premiership this season and although there is still a long way to go in the championship race, their hopes of defending their title already look under threat.
The hosts could have opened the scoring in just the fourth minute, but fullback Rudiger Gilbert scooped his shot over the crossbar.
Pirates also had early shots at goal through Andile Jali and Ruben Cloete, but both were comfortably handled by Stars' keeper Kennedy Mweene.
Midway through the first half Pirates created a good opportunity to open the scoring through midfielder Oupa Manyisa, but he put his headed effort over the target.
The remainder of the half saw both teams struggle to create further chances and it was no surprise that the half-time score was 0-0.
The second half continued in much the same vein as the first, but as the clock wound down it was the home team who gained the ascendancy and began to turn the screw on their more illustrious visitors.
With just over ten minutes to play, Stars very nearly broke the deadlock, as Brown got a shot on target only to see it cleared away from danger by Bucs defender Happy Jele.
The hosts continued to look the likelier scorers as full-time neared, with striker Boitumelo Sekgobela shooting just wide of the near post on 84 minutes.
In injury time Ea Lla Koto were finally rewarded for their persistence, with Chivuta scoring directly from a free kick to hand them a famous victory.
Scorers:
Free State Stars (0) 1 (Chivuta 90+3’)
Orlando Pirates 0
Teams:
Free State Stars: Mweene; Gilbert, Ouro-Akoriko, Mosikidi (Brown 58’), Gcaba; Coetzee (Wome 64’), Masehe, Moholo (Chivuta 62’), Gege, Mashego; Sekgobela
Orlando Pirates: Josephs (Meyiwa 66’); Jele, Lekgwathi, Sangweni, Cloete; Doutie, Manyisa, Jali, Bester; Mabena (Chansa 78’), McCarthy (Ndulula 71’)
