Orlando Pirates

Club Overview

Orlando Pirates are a South African football (soccer) club, founded in 1937 in the Orlando section of Soweto, Johannesburg.

Club History

The club also plays at the Johannesburg Stadium.

Orlando Pirates is South Africa’s oldest football club formed in 1937 in Orlando East, Soweto and their performances over the years have served as an inspiration for young soccer players to strive to play the Beautiful Game at the highest level in the black and white colours of the ‘Buccaneers’.

Over the years, Orlando Pirates – also known as ‘The Happy People’ – have accumulated a record of success 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 twice, in 2001 and 2003. Their second-placed finish in the last two domestic league campaigns has generated much excitement among the club’s vast fan-base.

Many other cup triumphs in domestic soccer have also been recorded, including Vodacom Challenge title victories in the inaugural 1999 tournament and in 2005. But the African continent and other areas of the soccer 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. Pirates were and still 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.

In 2005, Orlando Pirates achieved Superbrand status. Superbrands is an international company that identifies and rewards the leading brands around the world; Pirates are the only South African sports team next to the Springboks and Proteas to be given this status.

Club chairman, Dr Irvin Khoza, who also served on the 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.

The team recently announced its acquisition of a 51% share in the Ellis Park Stadium in Johanesburg's city center.

Club Rivalries

The Soweto derby between Kaizer Chiefs and Orlando Pirates is one of the most fiercely contested derbies in world soccer. And in contrast to most of the other games played in the Premier Soccer League in SA, matches between the two arch rivals attract a full house almost without fail.

Overall record

    GP W  D  L  GF GA 

Chiefs 32 12 12 8 31 26

Pirates 32 8 12 12 26 31

Stars of the Current Squad

Club Legends

Most Appearances

PLAYER Williams Okpara

APPEARANCES 375

Most Goals

PLAYERS A.Mahlangu,B.Steenkamp

GOALS 51

Player Recognition & Awards

Team Honours

SINCE 1971 African Super Cup titles: 1 1996 African Champions Cup titles: 1 1995 PSL League titles: 2 2000/01, 2002/03 NSL League titles: 1 1994 NPSL League titles: 4 1971, 1973, 1975, 1976 Bob Save Super Bowl titles: 2 1988, 1996 Mainstay Cup titles: 1 1980 Life Challenge titles: 1 1973, 1974, 1975 Top Eight Cup titles: 7 1972, 1973, 1978, 1983, 1993, 1996, 2000 Castle Challenge titles: 1 1992 Sales House Cup titles: 4 1972, 1975, 1977, 1983 Benson and Hedges titles: 2 1973, 1974 Charity Cup titles: 5 1993, 1995, 1997, 1999, 2001 Vodacom Challenge titles: 2 1999, 2005 Reserve League titles: 1 2007

Sponsors

VODACOM

Important Links