Orlando Pirates edged out by Al-Ittihad in five-goal Marbella friendly thriller

Orlando Pirates fell to their first defeat of pre-season in Spain, losing 3-2 to Saudi Pro League side Al-Ittihad in a lively friendly at the Marbella Football Center on Tuesday evening.

The South African club twice came from behind in an open contest but were ultimately undone by a late strike as the Saudi team, featuring Moroccan international Youssef En-Nesyri, made their superiority in front of goal count.

The match was part of Pirates’ European training camp as they build up towards the new campaign, while Al-Ittihad continue to fine-tune a squad being reshaped for the upcoming Saudi Pro League season.

Early breakthrough and Mbatha’s sharp response

Pirates head coach Abdeslam Ouaddou named a strong starting XI, handing first starts of pre-season to Bafana Bafana internationals Thalente Mbatha, Oswin Appollis and Evidence Makgopa. Sihle Nduli and Lebone Seema were also included from the outset.

Al-Ittihad struck first after only 10 minutes. En-Nesyri, who joined the Saudi side after spells in La Liga, lost his marker inside the box and met Abdulrahman Al-Aboud’s cross with a firm header beyond goalkeeper Sipho Chaine.

The Buccaneers initially looked rattled but gradually settled and began to impose themselves in possession, especially in the final third. Their pressure told in the 26th minute when Mbatha, returning to the side, collected a pass from Appollis on the edge of the area and rifled a low effort into the far corner to level the scores.

Pirates continued to probe, combining neatly around the penalty area. Tshepang Moremi thought he had completed the turnaround after slick interplay with Patrick Maswanganyi, only to see his finish ruled out, denying Pirates a second goal.

Diaby restores Al-Ittihad’s lead before major changes

Despite Pirates’ dominance late in the half, Al-Ittihad regained the advantage just before the interval. Moussa Diaby, fed by Ahmed Al-Ghamdi, broke forward and fired past Chaine against the run of play, sending the Saudi side into the break 2-1 up.

Ouaddou reacted immediately at half-time, making three substitutions. Salepe, Mariko and Ngwato came on for Nduli, Mbatha and Appollis, as the technical team looked to maintain intensity and spread minutes across the squad.

A further raft of changes followed shortly after the hour mark with Pirates still trailing, underlining the experimental nature of the encounter but also disrupting some of the fluency they had shown earlier in the match.

Late Saudi clincher and Pirates’ consolation

The alterations did inject fresh energy and Pirates pushed Al-Ittihad deeper in the second half, but the Soweto side struggled to create clear-cut chances as the Saudis sat compact and absorbed pressure.

With six minutes remaining, a defensive lapse proved costly. Pirates surrendered possession near their own penalty area, allowing Roger Fernandes to slip the ball into George Ilenikhena. The forward burst past a challenge and hammered his finish into the net to make it 3-1 and effectively settle the contest.

There was still time for Pirates to pull one back, as Yanela Mbuthuma netted a late consolation to reduce the deficit to 3-2 in the closing stages. However, the South Africans ran out of time to rescue a draw.

Spanish tour continues for Buccaneers

Despite the defeat, the fixture provided valuable minutes for a number of internationals and squad players as Pirates continue to sharpen tactically and physically ahead of the new season.

The Buccaneers remain in Spain for two further friendlies: they are scheduled to face Las Palmas FC on 22 July, before taking on Noem FC on 24 July as their pre-season preparations intensify.