By SuperSport.com
Gabadinho Mhango had a game of his life on Tuesday when he completed his hat-trick in the first 36 minutes as Orlando Pirates beat Polokwane City 4-1 in an Absa Premiership match at the Peter Mokaba Stadium in Polokwane.
The first from 27-year-old player from Chiwembe in Karonga, was just a classic one — he received a pass on the blind side of the defenders, faced two markers and unleashed an unexpected a curling effort in the box.
Man on fire
Gaba added his second when he beat Polokwane goalkeeper George Chigova with a looping effort in the 14th minute.
The visitors were simply unstoppable and they were 3-0 up in the 36th minute with Mhango completing his impressive first-half hat-trick with a tap-in.
The win took the Buccaneers to the fifth spot on the league standings, while Rise and Shine remained in 13th spot on the log.
The Buccaneers dominated the match from the start but Polokwane improved as the match progressed and they were awarded a penalty, but Mohammed Anas hit the crossbar from the spot-kick.
The hosts were left to rue that missed chance as Ben Motshwari extended the visitors’ lead after a mistake by the Polokwane defence for Pirates to deservedly lead 4-0 at the halftime break.
Jabulani Maluleka was introduced by Polokwane coach Clinton Larsen at the beginning of the second half as the hosts looked to pull one back.
The veteran midfielder helped Rise and Shine control the flow of the match and the home side managed to hit the back of the net on the night.
Salulani Phiri played a low cross for Anas, who made no mistake this time as he beat Pirates goalkeeper Wayne Sandilands to make it 4-1 in the 64th minute.
Both teams then launched attacks with Polokwane keen to score their second goal of the match with Anas working hard.
However, the visitors were solid at the back in the closing stages of the encounter and ultimately Pirates secured a 4-1 victory over Polokwane.