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Ritual can help weed out evil spirits, say fans

MERRY DANCE: Pirates Onyekachi Okonkwo displays neat footwork while Birds' Niang Mame blocks his path in thier Premiership match at Ellis Park Stadium on Satuday. Pic. Antonic Muchave. 21/01/2007. © Sowetan.
MERRY DANCE: Pirates Onyekachi Okonkwo displays neat footwork while Birds' Niang Mame blocks his path in thier Premiership match at Ellis Park Stadium on Satuday. Pic. Antonic Muchave. 21/01/2007. © Sowetan.

Bongani Magasela

Bongani Magasela

What now?

That question was asked by confused, long-faced Orlando Pirates' fans on Saturday after their team's goalless draw with Moroka Swallows.

Fans came in bigger numbers to cheer their club to victory - something that is eluding the troubled Buccaneers, who are languishing on the fourth spot from the bottom of the table.

Pirates have won only three of their 13 matches. The unimpressive result against Swallows was Pirates' fifth draw against the same number of losses.

As it happened in some instances, fans were impressed by the performance but were left dumbfounded by the end result which they said requires some serious soul-searching.

They believe that prayers have failed to dampen what they perceive as evil spirits while others are of the opinion that a ritual could unite the cross and skull bones. Something drastic needs to happen, some argue.

The club's senior official, Floyd Mbele, said there was no need to press the panic button yet. He concurred that the result was uninspiring. But Mbele said some positivity came out of their match with the ninth-placed Birds.

"Being able to end the game without conceding a goal is a step towards the right direction," he said of his club that has conceded 16 and scored 14 goals.

Victory eluded Pirates when Benedict Vilakazi and Manuel Bucuane missed clear-cut chances in the second half.

It was even scarier when defender Lehlohonolo Seema was sent off in the 79th minute. Seema, who was cautioned early in the second half, had hacked Tsweu Mokoro, and was sent off for an early shower.

But Pirates were able to contain the rampant Birds who should have wrapped it up with at least two clear goals in a one-sided first half. The Birds were all over Bucs but found keeper Isaac Chansa equal to the task.

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