Orlando Pirates found themselves three goals up inside the first 24 minutes thanks to McCarthy’s pair of goals and one from Andile Jali, but they were on the back foot for most of the remainder of the game as Amakhosi almost mounted a great comeback thanks to strikes from Siphiwe Tshabalala and Lehlohonolo Majoro.

Chiefs started confidently and were stroking the ball around impressively in the early minutes, but it was Pirates who soon opened the scoring. On nine minutes a defensive error from Keegan Ritchie saw Oupa Manyisa get a shot at goal that was well saved by Itumeleng Khune, but Benni McCarthy latched onto the rebound and cracked it home via the underside of the crossbar.

Twelve minutes later the Buccaneers made it 2-0. McCarthy played a great pass for Tlou Segolela who chipped the ball past Khune from a tight angle and Andile Jali poked the ball home from a mere inch or two out.

Two soon became three as the excellent Segolela skinned two Chiefs defenders down the left flank before pulling a ball back from the by-line for McCarthy to score his second of the day: Pirates were 3-0 up just past the midway point of the first half and in dreamland.

Yet on 33 minutes Chiefs pulled one back. The returning Siphiwe Tshabalala was allowed time to turn in the box and he fired home a low shot, giving the Amakhosi a glimmer of hope after having been completely outplayed.

Chiefs dominated the second half, as Pirates’ attack went strangely off the boil, and the team in gold and black pushed the hosts further and further onto the back foot. With 20 minutes to play they scored their second goal to make it 3-2 when substitute Lehlohonolo Majoro acrobatically volleyed home from close range.

Bucs didn’t panic in the remainder of the game and used their experience to disturb Chiefs’ attacking and waste time where and then they could, meaning they didn’t have too many scares in the dying minutes.

Orlando Pirates (3) 3 (McCarthy 9’ 24’, Jali 21’)

Kaizer Chiefs (1) 2 (Tshabalala 33’, Majoro 70’)

Pirates: Josephs; Nzunga, Mahamutsa, Sangweni, Matlaba, Segolela (Mabalane 88’), Manyisa, Jali, Klate (Mayambela 64’), Mabena (Ntshumayelo 53’), McCarthy

Chiefs: Khune; Tau, Zvasiya, Isaacs, Ritchie, Masango (Majoro 55’), Katsande, Baloyi (Dladla 73’), Tshabalala, Lebese (L. Khune 56’), Parker