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Orlando Pirates are a South African football (soccer) club, founded in 1937 in the Orlando section of Soweto, Johannesburg. History and development of the Orlando Pirates brand 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 is the only sports team next to the Springboks and Proteas to be given this status. Club chairman, 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 annonced it's acquisition of a 51% share in the Ellis Park Stadium in Johanesburg's city center. Early years The founders of Orlando Pirates included 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 soccer. The club was first called Orlando Boys Club. In 1940, Buthuel Mokgosinyane, the first president, bought the first team kit out of his pocket. Orlando Boys participated in Johannesburg Bantu Association's Wednesday League where they won the title and gained promotion to higher divisions of the association. Andrew Bassie, a key member of the team, suggested the new name 'Orlando Pirates'. The team composed the camp's war cry 'Ezimnyama Ngenkani'. The Soweto derby The Soweto derby between Kaizer Chiefs and Orlando Pirates is one of the most fiercely contested matches in world soccer, perhaps only upstaged in competitiveness by the Rangers vs Celtic derby in Glasgow. And in contrast to most of the other games played in the Premier Soccer League in SA, matches between the two archrivals attract a full house almost without fail. Results (2003-2006) 2003/2004 2004/2005 2005/2006 Overall record "Golden Days" 1990s 2000s Major honours (since 1971) 1996 1995 2000/01, 2002/03 1994 1971, 1973, 1975, 1976 1988, 1996 1980 1973, 1974, 1975 1972, 1973, 1978, 1983, 1993, 1996, 2000 1992 1972, 1975, 1977, 1983 1973, 1974 1993, 1995, 1997, 1999, 2001 1999, 2005 Club records Premier Soccer League record Season record PSL top scorers 1. Lelo Mbele 7 2. Lebohang Mokoena 6 3. Isaac Chansa 5 4. Phumudzo Manenzhe 3 4. Gift Leremi 3 4. Benedict Vilakazi 3 7. Onyekachi Okonkwo 2 Award winners Player of the Year Award: Francis Chansa Players' Player of the Year Award: Edward Malinga Chairman's Award: Isaac Chansa Golden Boot Award: Lelo Mbele Most Improved Player Award: Lucas Thwala Discovery of the Year Award: Innocent Mdledle Goal of the Year Award: Gift Leremi 2005/2006 first team players 2006/2007 Transfers In: Stanton Fredericks - FC Moscow, Russia Cavann Sibeko - Supersport United Lehlohonolo Seema - Bloemfontein Celtic Avril Phali - Jomo Cosmos Haytham Tambal - AlHilal, Sudan David Makgale - Maritzburg United Mpho Rashete - Maritzburg United Makhosonke Bhengu - Bloemfontein Celtic Sepeke Manamela - PJ Stars Robert Modiadie - PJ Stars Happy Jele - Walter Stars Gerald Modabi - Dynamos Paulos Masehe - Mamelodi Sundowns Fikru Tefera - St George, Ethiopia Out: Siyabonga Nomvete - Aalborg BK, Denmark Tyren Arendse - Mamelodi Sundowns Solomon Mathe - Silver Stars Davis Mwape (on loan) - FC AK Perry Mutapa (on loan) - FC AK Thabang Stemmer (on loan) - FC AK Daniel Tshabalala - FC AK Edelbert Dinha - FC AK Abednego Netshodwe - FC AK Themba Mnguni Official sponsor Vodacom | |||||||
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