Orlando Pirates consolidated their lead at the top of the Betway Premiership with a hard-fought 2-1 victory over Polokwane City in a match played at the Old Peter Mokaba Stadium on Wednesday night.
The Buccaneers remain on top due to their superior goal difference over second-placed Mamelodi Sundowns as the two Gauteng giants battle for the championship.
Coach Abdeslam Ouaddou's side will be targeting a third consecutive league win when they host Richards Bay on March 11.
Rise and Shine, on the other hand, saw their unbeaten home record in the league come to an end and they remained seventh in the standings.
Coach Phuti Mohafe and his charges will start preparations for their match against Sekhukhune United in a Limpopo Derby encounter, scheduled for March 14.
The Buccaneers dominated the first half, keeping Lindokuhle Mathebula busy, with his standout save denying Evidence Makgopa in a sixth-minute one-on-one.
The 32-year-old goalkeeper also produced smart stops to thwart Oswin Appollis and Relebohile Mofokeng.
Sipho Chaine, Mathebula's Pirates counterpart, was rarely tested and gathered Thabang Matuludi's hard, low shot in the 21st minute.
Controversy arose just before halftime when referee Luxolo Badi initially awarded Pirates a penalty for Tlou Nkwe's handball, only to reverse the decision after consulting his assistant, leaving the score 0-0 at the break.
After the restart, the Buccaneers picked up where they left off and took a deserved lead in the 52nd minute. Mofokeng scored his second career headed goal - his fifth of the season - giving Pirates a 1-0 advantage on the day he was named Betway Player of the Month for January-February 2026.
Polokwane threatened on the counter and equalised through Bonginkosi Dlamini in the 86th minute to make it 1-1 with the Bucs defence exposed.
However, substitute Patrick Maswanganyi snatched a dramatic 2-1 victory for Pirates with a last-minute winner, scoring his eighth goal of the campaign, including six league strikes.
Polokwane 1 (Dlamini 86')
Pirates 2 (Mofokeng 52', Maswanganyi 90')
Polokwane: Mathebula, Matuludi, Nikani, Nkaki (Mvundlela 85'), Nkwe, Mnguni (Daniels 58'), Bathabane, Kambala, Dlamini, Ramabu, Tshikweta (Tlolane 58').
Pirates: Chaine, Sibisi, Seema, Hotto, Van Rooyen, Makhaula, Mbatha, Mofokeng (Chabatsane 90'+4), Appollis (Maswanganyi 76'), De Jong (Moremi 61'), Makgopa (Mbuthuma 61').