Orlando Pirates Football Club is a professional football club in South Africa, based in the city of Johannesburg and plays in the top tier system of South African football known as Premier Soccer League.
The club was founded in 1937 and was originally based in Orlando, Soweto. They are named ‘Pirates’ after the 1940 film The Sea Hawk starring Errol Flynn. Orlando Pirates is the first club since the inception of the Premier Soccer League in 1996 to have won three major trophies in a single season back to back, having won the domestic league ABSA Premiership, the FA Cup Nedbank Cup and the Top 8 Cup MTN 8 during the ABSA Premiership 2010–11 season and domestic league ABSA Premiership, the League Cup Telkom Knockout and the Top 8 Cup MTN 8 during the ABSA Premiership 2011–12 season.
They are one of only two South African teams to win the CAF Champions League, which they won in 1995. They are the runners-up of 2015 CAF Confederation Cup. Orlando Pirates remains the only team since the inception of the PSL in 1996 to have been always in the top eight bracket.
Orlando Pirates drew an average home attendance of 14,533 in the 2016-17 domestic league season. It became the second highest in the league. One of their biggest rivalries besides the one with Kaizer Chiefs is the rivalry with Moroka Swallows.