Orlando Pirates F.C.

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.[3] 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.[3]

In 1940, Bethuel Mokgosinyane, the first president, bought the first team kit with his own funds. 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.[2] Andrew Bassie, a key member of the team, suggested the new name 'Orlando Pirates'. The team composed the camp's war cry 'Ezimnyama Ngenkani'.

Orlando Pirates supporters

Over the years, Orlando Pirates – also known as 'The Happy People' – have accumulated a record of successes having won the National Professional Soccer League title in 1971, 1973, 1975 and 1976, the National Soccer League title in 1994, and the Premier Soccer League title four times, in 2001, 2003, 2011 and 2012. Their first-place finish in the 2010–11 domestic league campaign generated much excitement among the club's vast fan base.

In 2011, Orlando Pirates enjoyed tremendous success by winning the 2010–11 Premier Soccer League, The Nedbank Cup, The MTN 8 Cup and The Telkom Knockout. This year was dubbed as "The Happy Year."

Many other cup triumphs in domestic football have also been recorded, including Vodacom Challenge title victories in the inaugural 1999 tournament and 2005. But the African continent and other areas of the football world took notice of Orlando Pirates Football Club when they won the African Champions Cup (now known as the Champions League) in 1995 and the African Super Cup a year later. Along with Mamelodi Sundowns, the Orlando Pirates are the only Southern Hemisphere club to have won the African Champions League. This achievement resulted in the club being honoured by the first State President of the new democratic South Africa, Nelson Mandela – another first for a South African sporting team.

Club chairman, Irvin Khoza, who also served on the 2010 World Cup Bid Committee, must be credited with the club's rise to fame over the past few years as the Orlando Pirates supporters – who are nicknamed "The Ghost" – have had much to cheer about.

Kaizer Chiefs chairman Kaizer Motaung and his Jomo Cosmos counterpart Jomo Sono were popular players of the highest calibre for the Buccaneers before starting their own clubs. Their playing history is deeply entrenched in the black and white colours of Orlando Pirates.

In 2005, the team, along with Interza Lesego and Ellis Park Stadium Ltd, announced its acquisition of a 51% share in Ellis Park Stadium, making it the first majority black-owned stadium in South Africa.[8] 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 Soweto derby between Kaizer Chiefs and Orlando Pirates is one of the most fiercely contested derbies in world football. The first match between both clubs was on 24 January 1970.[9]

South African League titles (9):

• Premier Soccer League
  • Champions (4): 2000–01, 2002–03, 2010–11, 2011–12
  • Runners up (6): 1999–2000, 2004–05, 2005–06, 2008–09, 2017–18, 2018–19
• National Soccer League
  • Champions (1): 1994
• National Professional Soccer League
  • Champions (4): 1971, 1973, 1975, 1976

• Nedbank Cup
  • Champions (9): 1973, 1974, 1975, 1980, 1988, 1996, 2011, 2014, 2023
  • Runners up : 2006 (absa cup by then), 2016, 2017
• Telkom Knockout
  • Champions (1): 2011
  • Runners up : 2000 (Rothmans Cup by then), 2010, 2018
• MTN 8
  • Champions (12): 1972, 1973, 1978, 1983, 1993, 1996, 2000, 2010, 2011, 2020, 2022, 2023
  • Runners up : 2007, 2014

• CAF Champions League
  • Champions (1): 1995
  • Runners-up (1): 2013
• CAF Confederation Cup
  • Runners-up (2): 2015, 2021-22
• CAF Super Cup
  • Champions (1): 1996

• Castle Challenge
  • Champions (1): 1992
• Sales House Cup
  • Champions (4): 1972, 1975, 1977, 1983

• Carling Black Label Cup
  • Champions (5) record: 2011, 2012, 2014, 2015, 2019
  • Vodacom Challenge
    • Champions (2): 1999, 2005
• PSL Reserve League
  • Champions (1): 2007
  • And also be the best team in South Africa

As of 27 September 2021

As of 13 March 2023[12]

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player 2 DF  RSA Thabiso Monyane 3 MF  RSA Thembinkosi Lorch 4 MF  RSA Miguel Timm (vice captain) 5 DF  RSA Nkosinathi Sibisi 6 MF  RSA Ben Motshwari 7 MF  NAM Deon Hotto 8 MF  RSA Thabang Monare 9 FW  RSA Zakhele Lepasa 11 MF  RSA Fortune Makaringe 12 MF  RSA Katlego Otladisa 14 MF  RSA Monnapule Saleng (vice Captain) 15 MF  RSA Ndabayithethwa Ndlondlo 16 MF  RSA Makhehleni Makhaula 17 FW  RSA Evidence Makgopa 18 MF  RSA Kabelo Dlamini

No. Pos. Nation Player 21 MF  RSA Lesedi Kapinga 23 DF  RSA Innocent Maela (captain) 24 GK  RSA Sipho Chaine 25 MF  COD Karim Kimvuidi 26 MF  RSA Bandile Shandu 27 DF  RSA Tapelo Xoki (vice captain) 28 FW  RSA Patrick Maswanganyi 29 DF  RSA Paseka Mako 30 MF  RSA Siphelo Baloni 31 GK  GHA Richard Ofori 32 FW  CMR Souaibou Marou 33 FW  CMR Bienvenu Eva Nga 34 FW  RSA Azola Matrose 35 GK  RSA Melusi Buthelezi 38 FW  RSA Relebohile Ratomo 39 DF  RSA Sandile Mthethwa 40 GK  RSA Siyabonga Mpontshane 45 FW  RSA Vincent Pule 49 DF  NGA Olisa Ndah 95 FW  RSA Kermit Erasmus