Orlando Pirates will be eager to mend their not-so-impressive away form when they take on a tricky Sekhukhune United outfit at Peter Mokaba Stadium on Saturday (5.45pm). 

Pirates have won just three of their 10 Dstv Premiership away fixtures this season with four draws and three defeats. Babina Noko should be a somewhat vexatious opponents for the Sea Robbers for many reasons, with the main one being the fact that the Polokwane-based side lead the form table, compiled only from the last four rounds of league fixtures, where they are the only side who managed to win all of them, scoring nine goals while they conceded just two.

Conversely, Pirates only collected eight points from a possible 12 in their last four league games, netting six times while they leaked five goals. What also suggests that Pirates won't have it easy in Polokwane is that Sekhukhune's home form isn't really bad, having garnered four victories from nine league games in their backyard with three losses and two draws.

Even so, Pirates should draw confidence from the fact that they've only lost to Babina Noko once in their history, with four wins and a draw from the five outings these two sides have had in all competitions since the latter were promoted through winning the second-tier's championship in the 2020/21 season.

Meanwhile, Pirates are expected to welcome back two of their key players in striker Evidence Makgopa and goalkeeper Sipho Chaine, who both missed the side's last outing against Hungry Lions in the Nedbank Cup last 16, where they thumped the second-tier side 4-0 at home almost three weeks ago. Chaine missed the game against Lions as he was mourning the passing of his mother.

Makgopa, who in fact didn't only miss the Lions game but also the previous two in the league against Cape Town Spurs and bitter rivals Kaizer Chiefs, has been struggling with a knock. Even so, the recent Fifa break must have given him enough time to shake it off.

Fixtures

Saturday: CPT v Chiefs, Cape Town 3.30pm; Polokwane v Chippa, Old Peter Mokaba (3.30pm); Arrows v Bay, Mpumalanga (3.30pm); Stellenbosch v Royal, Danie Craven (3.30pm); Galaxy v AmaZulu, Mbombela (5.30pm); Sekhukhune v Pirates, Peter Mokaba (5.45pm).

Sunday: Spurs v Swallows, Athlone (3.30pm)