Orlando Pirates F.C.

Orlando Pirates Football Club, referred to as simply Pirates, is a South African professional football club based in Orlando, Soweto that plays in the top-tier system of Football in South Africa known as the Betway Premiership. The team plays its home matches at Orlando Stadium in Soweto.

The club was founded in 1937 and was originally based in Orlando, Soweto. Orlando Pirates are the first club since the inception of the Premier Soccer League in 1996 to have won three major trophies in a single season back to back, having won the domestic league ABSA Premiership, the domestic cup Nedbank Cup and the Top 8 Cup MTN 8 during the ABSA Premiership 2010–11 season and domestic league ABSA Premiership, the League Cup Telkom Knockout and the Top 8 Cup MTN 8 during the ABSA Premiership 2011–12 season. They are one of only two South African teams with Mamelodi Sundowns to win the CAF Champions League, which they won in 1995 and were runners up of 2013 CAF Champions League.

They are also the runners-up of the 2015 and 2021–2022 CAF Confederation Cup.

In total Orlando Pirates have appeared in four Confederation of African Football finals, that is more continental finals than any other Premier Soccer League side.

The club has won nine league titles and 90 trophies in total including 10 South African cup trophies. In 2025 they became the first team to win four consecutive MTN 8 finals.

History

Orlando Pirates is one of South Africa's oldest football clubs having been established in 1937 in Orlando East, Soweto.

Early years

The founders of Orlando Pirates included the offspring of migrant workers who moved from rural areas to work in the gold mines of Gauteng. Boys in Orlando came together at every available opportunity in open spaces and in informal groupings to play football. The original club was formed in 1934 by a group of teenagers at the Orlando Boys Club. Andries Mkhwanazi, popularly known as "Pele Pele", was a boxing instructor at the Orlando Boys Club when he encouraged formation of a football club in 1937 and a year later those teenagers were competing among the minors of the Johannesburg Bantu Football Association barefoot and without a team kit. It was in the same year that Orlando Pirates achieved Superbrand status. Superbrands is an international company that identifies and rewards the leading brands around the world; Orlando Pirates are the only South African sports team next to the Springboks and Proteas to be given this status.

The Ghost

thumb

Orlando Pirates’ supporters are known as “the Ghost” and produce an intimidating atmosphere on match days at Orlando Stadium.

Fans boast about their team being the first club from Southern Africa to have won the Caf Champions League title, having achieved this in 1995.

The Soweto derby

The Soweto derby between Kaizer Chiefs and Orlando Pirates is a fiercely contested derby. The first match was on 24 January 1971.

Honours

{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="font-size:95%; text-align:center;"

!style="width: 1%;"|Type

!style="width: 5%;"|Competition

!style="width: 1%;"|Titles

!style="width: 21%;"|Seasons

| rowspan="4" |Domestic

! scope=col|League/Premiership

|10

|align="left"|Winners (10): 1971, 1973, 1975, 1976, 1994, 2000–01, 2002–03, 2010–11, 2011–12, 2025–26

::Runners-up (9): 1999–2000, 2004–05, 2005–06, 2008–09, 2017–18, 2018–19, 2022–23, 2023–24, 2024–25

! scope=col|FA Cup/Nedbank Cup

|align="center"|10

|align="left"|Winners (10): 1973, 1974, 1975, 1980, 1988, 1996, 2010–11, 2013–14, 2022–23, 2023–24

::Runners-up (10): 1971, 1976, 1977, 1981, 1984, 1998, 2006, 2015–16, 2016–17, 2024–25

! scope=col|League Cup/Carling Knockout

|align="center"|2

|align="left"|Winners (2): 2011, 2025

::Runners-up (8): 1987, 1990, 1995, 2000, 2008, 2010, 2013, 2018

! scope=col|Top 8 Cup/MTN 8

|align="center"|14

|align="left"|Winners (14): 1972, 1973, 1978, 1983, 1993, 1996, 2000, 2010, 2011, 2020, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025

::Runners-up (3): 2007, 2013, 2014

| rowspan="4" |African

! scope=col|CAF Champions League

|align="center"|1

|align="left"|Winners (1): 1995 10px

::Runners-up (1): 2013

! scope=col| CAF Confederation Cup

|align="center"|0

|align="left"|

::Runners-up (2): 2015, 2021-22

! scope=col| CAF Super Cup

|align="center"|1

|align="left"|Winners (1): 1996

! scope=col| Afro-Asian Club Championship

|align="center"|0

|align="left"|

::Runners-up (1): 1996

Amateur Era (1937-1960)

Johannesburg Bantu Football Association (JBFA) Saturday League Division Two

Champions (1): 1939

Johannesburg Bantu Football Association (JBFA) Saturday League Division One

Champions (3): 1955, 1956 & 1959

Overall matches

{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center"

! Competition

! P !! W !! D !! L !! GF !! GA

| CAF Champions League

| 80 || 36 || 24 || 20 || 122|| 69

| CAF Confederation Cup

| 21 || 15 || 2 || 4 || 38 || 22

| African Cup Winners' Cup

| 8 || 6 || 1 || 1 || 24 || 11

| CAF Super Cup

| 1 || 1 || 0 || 0 || 1 || 0

! Total

! 110 !! 58 !! 27 !! 25 !! 180 !! 102

Crest and colours

Kit manufacturers and shirt sponsors

{| class="wikitable"

!Period

!Kit manufacturer

!Shirt sponsor

!Ref

|1993-97

|Umbro

|Alpha Cement

| rowspan="3" |

|1997–present

|Adidas

|Vodacom

Club ranking

As of 2 September 2023, Orlando Pirates are ranked 16th in the 2023-24 CAF 5-year ranking.

{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align: center;"

! Rank !! width=200|Club !! 2018–19 !! 2019–20 !! 2020–21 !! 2021–22 !! 2022–23 !! Total

|15|| align="left" | USM Alger

|0||1||0||0||5

|16|| align="left" | Orlando Pirates

|2||0||2||4||0

|17|| align="left" | Al-Hilal

|2||2||1||1||2

Notable former coaches

Walter Da Silva (1988)
Shepherd Murape (1994)
Joe Frickleton (1995)
Viktor Bondarenko (1995–1996)
Shaibu Amodu (1996–1997)
Ted Dumitru (1999–2000)
Gordon Igesund (2000–2001)
Jean-Yves Kerjean (2001–2002)
Kosta Papić (2004–2005)
Milutin Sredojević (2006–2007)
Bibey Mutombo (2007)
Owen Da Gama (2007–2008)
Ruud Krol (2008–2011)
Júlio César Leal (2011–2012)
Augusto Palacios (interim; 2012)
Roger De Sa (2012–2014)
Eric Tinkler (interim; 2014)
Vladimir Vermezović (2014–2015)
Eric Tinkler (2015–2016)
Muhsin Ertuğral (2016)
Augusto Palacios (interim; 2016–2017)
Kjell Jonevret (2017)
Milutin Sredojević (2017–2019)
Rulani Mokwena (interim; 2019)
Josef Zinnbauer (2019–2021)
Fadlu Davids & Mandla Ncikazi (interims; 2021–2022)
José Riveiro (2022-2025)
Abdeslam Ouaddou (2025–present)

Club records

thumb|Orlando Pirates youth team players.

Most appearances: Happy Jele 401
Most goals: Benedict Vilakazi 52
Most capped player: Teko Modise 58 (South Africa)
Most appearances in a season: Senzo Meyiwa 51 (2013–2014), Oupa Manyisa 51 (2013–14) and Willy Okpara 51 (1994–1995)
Most goals in a season: Dennis Lota 23 (1999–00)
Record win: 9–1 v Olympics FC (Bob Save Super Bowl, 7 March 1999)
Record loss: 0–6 vs Mamelodi Sundowns (League, 11 February 2017) Loftus Versfeld Stadium, Pretoria
Most games unbeaten: 17 (1975, 2005)
Most goals scored in a season: 61 (1989)
Most goals conceded in a season: 60 (1986)
Most wins in a season: 21 (2026)
Fewest wins in a season: 5 (1985)
Most defeats in a season: 15 (1985)
Fewest defeats in a season: 3 (1994,2026)

Premiership record

{|class="wikitable" style="font-size: 85%"

!colspan="2"|Key

|bgcolor=gold |

|Champions

|bgcolor=silver |

|Runners-up

|bgcolor=#CC9966 |

|Third place

|bgcolor=green |

|In progress

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"

!rowspan="2"|Season

!rowspan="2"|Position

!colspan="8"|Record

|- style="background:#CC9966"

|1996–97

|3rd

|34

|18

|10

|43

|27

|16

|57

|- style="background:#CC9966"

|1997–98

|3rd

|34

|15

|12

|52

|33

|19

|57

|- style="background:#CC9966"

|1998–99

|3rd

|34

|17

|55

|28

|27

|60

|- style="background:silver"

|1999–2000

|2nd

|34

|18

|10

|72

|36

|64

|- style="background:gold"

|2000–01

|Champions

|34

|16

|13

|60

|34

|26

|61

|- style="background:#CC9966"

|2001–02

|3rd

|34

|15

|12

|43

|31

|12

|57

|- style="background:gold"

|2002–03

|Champions

|30

|18

|41

|16

|25

|61

|2003–04

|5th

|30

|13

|11

|45

|30

|15

|50

|- style="background:silver"

|2004–05

|2nd

|30

|17

|52

|29

|23

|60

|- style="background:silver"

|2005–06

|2nd

|30

|14

|12

|39

|24

|15

|54

|2006–07

|5th

|30

|12

|10

|36

|30

|46

|2007–08

|8th

|30

|12

|38

|30

|42

|- style="background:silver"

|2008–09

|2nd

|30

|15

|10

|37

|20

|17

|55

|2009–10

|5th

|30

|10

|14

|26

|18

|44

|- style="background:gold"

|2010–11

|Champions

|30

|17

|41

|23

|18

|60

|- style="background:gold"

|2011–12

|Champions

|30

|17

|39

|26

|13

|58

|- style="background:#CC9966"

|2012–13

|3rd

|30

|14

|10

|39

|23

|16

|52

|2013–14

|4th

|30

|13

|10

|30

|22

|46

|2014–15

|4th

|30

|13

|11

|46

|29

|17

|50

|2015–16

|7th

|30

|11

|38

|30

|41

|2016–17

|11th

|30

|15

|29

|40

| -11

|33

|- style="background:silver"

|2017–18

|2nd

|30

|15

|10

|41

|26

|15

|55

|- style="background:silver"

|2018–19

|2nd

|30

|15

|12

|44

|24

|20

|57

|- style="background:#CC9966"

|2019–20

|3rd

|30

|14

|10

|40

|29

|11

|52

|- style="background:#CC9966"

|2020–21

|3rd

|30

|13

|11

|33

|22

|11

|50

|2021–22

|6th

|30

|10

|14

|34

|28

|44

|- style="background:silver"

|2022–23

|2nd

|30

|16

|40

|21

|19

|54

|- style="background:silver"

|2023–24

|2nd

|30

|14

|44

|26

|18

|50

|- style="background:silver"

|2024–25

|2nd

|28

|19

|43

|20

|23

|61

|- style="background:gold"

|2025–26

|Champions

|30

|21

|58

|12

|46

|69

Coaching staff

{| class="wikitable"

! Position

! Name

|Chairman/managing director

| Irvin Khoza

| Head coach

| Abdeslam Ouaddou

|Assistant coach

| Mandla Ncikazi

|Assistant coach

| Rayaan Jacobs

|Goalkeeper coach

| Tyron Damons

|Head of performance

| Ruan Rust

|Strength and conditioning coach

| Helmi Gueldich

|Biokineticist

| Lauren tate

|Biokineticist

| Dylan Cox

|Head of sports Sciences

| Lee Miles

|Video analyst

| Ncwadi ndabezitha

|Assistant video analyst

| Taariq yaghya

|Team Doctor

| DR Ezekiel matebula

|Team Doctor

| DR Lazarus maphakela

|Physiotherapist

| Kutlwano molefe

|Physiotherapist

| John William

|Physiotherapist

| Bongani mmitsi

|Kit manager

| Lucky matshaba

|Kit manager

| Goodness mhlongo

|Team security

| Nhlanhla Jwara

|Technical

| Junior Bhengu

thumb|Orlando Pirates starting line-up in 2009. Back row L–R [[Benson Mhlongo ©, Lucky Lekgwathi, Moeneeb Josephs, Lucas Thwala, Rooi Mahamutsa and Happy Jele; Front row L–R Andile Jali, Thulasizwe Mbuyane, Dikgang Mabalane, Katlego Mashego and Teko Modise.]]

Players

First team squad

Players out on loan

Jersey number retirement

The club has retired four numbers.

Jersey number 10 was retired to honour Jomo Sono, regarded as one of the best players from South Africa. As of 2024, the jersey has been worn in CAF Champions League by Patrick Maswanganyi

Jersey number 13 was retired to honour Clifford Moleko in 1998.

Jersey number 22 was retired to honour Lesley Manyathela after his death in a car accident in 2003. Manyathela finished the 2003 season as top scorer, and the Lesley Manyathela Golden Boot was named after him.

Jersey number 1 was retired to honour goalkeeper Senzo Meyiwa after his murder in 2014.

References

External links

PSL Club Info (archived 7 December 2008)
Orlando Pirates results