Nedbank Cup semis | Are we in for a Pirates versus Sundowns final?
Sundowns' Lucas Ribeiro and Orlando Pirates could possibly meet in this year's Nedbank Cup final
Lee Warren / Gallo Images
SPORT
Expectations are that this year’s Nedbank Cup final will pit the powerhouses of SA football: Orlando Pirates versus Mamelodi Sundowns.
But first things first, Pirates and Sundowns must clear the last hurdle in this weekend’s semifinals to make the decider at Mbombela Stadium in Mpumalanga on 1 June.
READ: What's next for Sundowns? A treble is on the cards for PSL champions
The two giants will be playing away.
The Buccaneers will face Chippa United at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium in Gqeberha on Saturday.
Sundowns will also travel to the coast, in the Western Cape, for their last four fixtures against Stellenbosch FC at the Danie Craven Stadium on Sunday.
Both matches will kick off at 3pm.
The Spanish tactician is also somewhat in familiar territory, having proven that he’s got something up his sleeve when it comes to knockout competition.
The only blemish in cup runs was when Pirates were knocked out by Richards Bay at the quarterfinal stage of the inaugural Carling Knockout, which was won by Stellenbosch.
The Pirates coach told the media this week:
We know how difficult it is to win a cup match [and] because of that, there’s no room for complacency. The players know and with the respect we have for the opponents, for sure we’re going to find a way to perform to our best. That’s what we want, we want to play our best version on Saturday.
In contrast, Sundowns have not done fairly well in local cup competitions, with their last PSL cup success dating back two years ago with the MTN8 and Nedbank Cup triumphs, both during the 2021/22 season.
Interestingly, Sundowns will face a Stellensbosch side, which counts among the few teams that have beaten Sundowns in recent times.
Stellies, as the club from the Cape Winelands is affectionately known, knocked out coach Rulani Mokwena's side in the quarterfinal stage of the Nedbank Cup last season.
If anything, this weekend's semifinals will shine the spotlight on the PSL's in-form strikers, Tshegofatso Mabasa of Pirates with 13 goals, and his Stellenbosch counterpart Iqraam Rayners, who is the leading league scorer with 14 goals.
Beyond the cup clashes, there will be repeat fixtures involving the four sides when they face off in some of their remaining DStv Premiership matches.
The Buccaneers will host Chippa at Orlando Stadium, Soweto, on Wednesday (8 May), while Sundowns will return to Cape Town for their meeting with Stellenbosch on 18 May.
