Orlando Pirates announce award nominees ahead of TP Mazembe clash
Orlando Pirates have announced the nominees for Goal of the Season accolade ahead of club's end-of-season awards ceremony.
The awards gala is scheduled to be held on the 19th of July 2018, but the venue for the event is yet to be revealed by the club.
It will be the Soweto giants' first awards ceremony since 2014. Bucs held the event following a successful 2013/14 season which saw the team reach the 2013 Caf Champions League final.
Pirates had a relatively successful 2017/18 campaign under their Serbian coach Milutin 'Micho' Sredojevic and his assistant Rulani Mokwena.
The Buccaneers finished second in the Premier Soccer League (PSL) and they qualified for next season's Caf Champions League.
Bucs have now disclosed the players that have been nominated for the Goal of the Season award.
Eight players have been nominated namely; Thabiso Kutumela, Augustine Mulenga, Justin Shonga, Bernard Morrison, Luvuyo Memela, Thabo Matlaba, Ricardo Lourenco and Augustine Mahlonoko from Bucs' Project X Team.
The #OPAwards18 @caltexsa Goal of the Season Nominees are:
— Orlando Pirates FC (@orlandopirates) July 11, 2018
🥅Kutumela v @MaritzburgUtd
🥅Mulenga v @Bloem_Celtic
🥅Shonga v @ChippaUnitedFC
🥅Morrison v @ajaxcapetown
🥅Memela v @Masandawana
🥅Lourenco v PW
🥅Mahlonoko v BAH
🥅Matlaba v @PlatinumStarsFC
#OnceAlways pic.twitter.com/ShklQHmsID
Meanwhile, Pirates have stepped up a gear with the second phase of their pre-season preparations after arriving in Zambia on Tuesday.
The team is based in the city of Ndola where they are training at the Levy Mwanawasa Stadium, the home of Zambia's senior national team, Chipolopolo.
Three friendly matches against top teams have been secured by Bucs, who are set to participate in five major tournaments during the 2018/19 campaign.
Sredojevic's side will take on DR Congo giants TP Mazembe on Thursday, before facing Zambia's most successful club, Nkana FC on Sunday.
Their last match will be against 2005 Zambian Coca Cola champions Forest Rangers next week Wednesday.