Orlando Pirates must win on the last day of the season on Saturday to be crowned Betway Premiership champions but leaving it to the last game is nothing new for the Buccaneers.
Pirates are away against relegation-haunted Orbit College at the Mbombela Stadium in Nelspruit on Saturday, needing to win to end the eight-season reign of Mamelodi Sundowns.
Their last two championship successes in 2011 and 2012 were both secured on the final day of the season.
In 2011, they famously profited from Ajax Cape Town imploding and snuck through to win the title on goal difference, while the next year they retained their crown by winning their last game with their closest rivals breathing down their neck.
On both occasions, Pirates beat Lamontville Golden Arrows to secure success.
𝐍𝐄𝐗𝐓_𝐌𝐀𝐓𝐂𝐇
— Orlando Pirates (@orlandopirates) May 21, 2026
🆚 @mswenkoboyz (A)
🗓 Saturday,23 May 2026
🏟 Mbombela Stadium
🎟 Sold Out
📺 @SuperSportTV | @Official_SABC1
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In 2011, Ajax led Pirates by two points going into the final day, but a horror error by goalkeeper Hans Vonk saw them held to a 2-2 draw by Maritzburg United at the Cape Town Stadium.
At the same time, Pirates edged Arrows 2-1 with a late winner from Isaac Chansa and snatched away unexpected success on goal difference.
It was not enough, however, for the club to renew coach Ruud Krol’s contract, and instead, they hired Julio Leal as coach for the next season, only to fire him halfway through the campaign.
That disruption, however, did not impact the players as Augusto Palacios took over as caretaker and saw the side home to the 2012 championship.
They were two points ahead of Moroka Swallows going into their last game and kept up the gap as Benni McCarthy scored twice in the 4-2 win over Arrows at the Moses Mabhida Stadium, while Swallows, with Gordon Igesund in charge, won 1-0 away at Maritzburg with an 88th-minute goal from Lefa Tsutsulupa.