Pirates sink Chiefs to reclaim lead in South Africa

Tshepang Moremi scored after only five minutes as Orlando Pirates swept aside arch rivals Kaizer Chiefs 3-0 on Saturday to reclaim first place in the South African Premiership.

Oswin Appollis added a second goal late in the first half and substitute Evidence Makgopa completed the rout with 12 minutes of regular time remaining in Johannesburg.

A capacity crowd of 87,436, including former Manchester United striker Dwight Yorke, saw a dominant performance from Pirates, whose victory created a three-point lead over Mamelodi Sundowns.

Pirates have 41 points with 12 matches to play. Sundowns, who are seeking a ninth straight title, have 38 points ahead of a home fixture against third-placed Sekhukhune United on Sunday.

"We were in control from start to finish," Morocco-born Pirates coach Abdeslam Ouaddou, a former Premier League defender with Fulham, told reporters.

"There was clinical finishing today -- a factor that was missing from our recent performances. We fulfilled our plans to apply pressure from the kick-off and score early."

Chiefs' Burundian co-coach Cedric Kaze conceded that "Pirates were deserved winners. This is a match we will want to forget quickly".

"We let down millions of supporters due to a lack of aggression and creativity. We were too slow to the ball and our passing was poor," he added.

Chiefs, suffering a second league loss in five days after a shock home loss to Stellenbosch, lie fourth. They are 11 points behind Pirates with a game in hand.

While Sundowns have dominated the Premiership -- the richest African national league with a 20 million rand ($1.25 mn) first prize -- matches between Chiefs and Pirates draw the biggest crowds.

The rivalry began in 1970, when Chiefs were formed, and usually produces close encounters. This was the most one-sided match since Pirates won a cup tie 3-0 six years ago.

Chiefs are based in Johannesburg while Pirates play in Soweto, a vast township bordering the South African economic capital.

Pretoria-based Sundowns are owned by Patrice Motsepe, a billionaire businessman who is serving a second four-year term as president of the Confederation of African Football (CAF).