Everything you need to know about one of South Africa’s greatest teams
Orlando Pirates are one of the two biggest teams in South Africa due to their huge following in the country and beyond.
Pirates are estimated to have over nine million fans, only bettered by Kaizer Chiefs, and it is a result of nearly 90 years of existence as well as great dedication from the club’s founders and supporters.
Who are Orlando Pirates?
Orlando Pirates are one of South Africa’s oldest clubs, having been founded in 1937.
The founders of 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.
They were named “amapirate” which means ‘Pirates' in IsiZulu after the band of teenagers that originally formed an amateur football club at Orlando Boys Club broke away and started congregating at the home of one of the people that worked at Orlando Boys Club.
In 1940, Bethuel Mokgosinyane, the first president, purchased the first team kit with his own money. Orlando Boys participated in Johannesburg Bantu Football Association's Saturday League, where they won the Division Two title and gained promotion to Division One in 1944.
Andrew Bassie, a key member of the team, suggested the new name ‘Orlando Pirates'. The team composed the camp's war cry ‘Ezimnyama Ngenkani'.
Nickname
Orlando Pirates are also called The Sea Robbers, The Bucs or The Buccaneers.
Success
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 after claiming the league, Nedbank Cup and the Top 8 Cup (now MTN 8) in the 2010-11 and 2011-22 seasons.
Pirates are also one of only two South African teams, alongside Mamelodi Sundowns, to win the CAF Champions League, which they claimed in 1995, and were runners up in 2013.
They are also the runners-up of the 2015 and 2021–2022 CAF Confederation Cup, having appeared in four finals of the competition, the most by a South African club.
Pirates have nine league titles and 37 trophies in total, including 10 South African cup trophies with their last PSL crown coming in 2011-12.
Recent achievements
Pirates have won four trophies in the last two years being back-to-back MTN8 and Nedbank Cup triumphs, under current coach Jose Riveiro, this coming after reaching the CAF Confederation Cup final in 2021-22, just before the Spanish tactician arrived.
Home
Pirates play their home matches at the iconic Orlando Stadium in Soweto, a township in Johannesburg, in Gauteng province.
The stadium has a capacity of 36,761 people and is one of the most intimidating venues in South African football.
Legends
A number of fine players played for Pirates but just a few left a great mark at the club to be considered legends such as Jomo Sono, Jerry Sikhosana, Helman Mkhalele, Dan Malesela, Lesley Manyathela, Sibusiso Zuma, Oupa Manyisa, Lucky Lekgwathi, Teko Modise, Benedict Vilakazi, Andile Jali, Patson Banda, Happy Jele, Kaizer Motaung, Steve Lekoelea, John Moeti, Edward Motale, Eric ‘Scara’ Sono among others.
