Orlando Pirates keep Nedbank Cup title defence ALIVE

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Orlando Pirates‘ Nedbank Cup title defence was tested at the Old Peter Mokaba Stadium against SuperSport United on Saturday.

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However, the Buccaneers dug deep to reach the semi-finals with victory on penalties over Matsatsantsa.

The score was deadlocked at 2-2 after extra-time, but the Soweto giants prevailed 5-4 on spot-kicks.

MATCH PREVIEW

Form guide

Orlando Pirates cantered past the two opening rounds of this year’s competition, netting six goals while conceding just twice across the two matches.

They beat Betway Premiership rivals Richards Bay 3-1 away from home before producing the same scoreline in their Round of 16 clash against Championship outfit Baroka FC.

Those victories added to their impressive streak in the prestigious tournament, which they have dominated in recent years.

Overall form however has been a little on the indifferent side for Jose Riveiro’s troops in recent weeks.

They have twice been on the losing side in the past month, going down to Mamelodi Sundowns and Marumo Gallants with both matches played away from home.

There have been four victories amid the disappointments including Wednesday’s 1-0 triumph against Chippa United – their second away win during this period.

Their cup exploits have now seen their return to the scene of league wins against Magesi and Sekhukhune United earlier this season.

It is where they will be locking horns with a Matsatsantsa outfit emerging from a goalless draw at home to AmaZulu in midweek, just days after falling to a 1-0 defeat away to Magesi at a venue not too far from the one that will be serving as their home base for the cup quarter-final.

The Tshwane outfit’s route to the last eight has not been too dissimilar from that of their next opponents as it consisted of fixtures against opposition from each of the two top tiers in South African football.

SuperSport United brushed off the challenge of Magesi in their opener – winning 2-0 on the road – before a rather tight home encounter against Championship outfit Cape Town Spurs, which was decided in the penultimate minute of extra-time through a Lebohang Maboe strike that made it 2-1.

The latter result is just one of only two positive outcomes in the span of a month for Gavin Hunt’s men, with the other one being a convincing 4-1 win against a 10-man Kaizer Chiefs.

Having tasted success against one of the Soweto giants, they will be encouraged to put on a performance that could mark their return to the semi-finals after failing to do so since they last went all the way to clinch the title.

Team news

Goalkeeper Sipho Chaine is back in contention for a spot in the Buccaneers’ match day squad after not making the midweek trip to the Eastern Cape due to suspension.

There will however be a forced reshuffling of the defensive line, with Nkosinathi Sibisi ruled out after picking up a one-match ban through an accumulation of yellow cards on Wednesday.

Orlando Pirates have also had to contend with a few injuries in recent times, with influential midfielder Patrick Maswanganyi among those not likely to feature while defender Olisa Ndah and striker Zakhele Lepasa have made steady progress since being sidelined.

Meanwhile Hunt remains a most prominent absentee for the home side.

The veteran tactician was sent off during the league loss to Magesi and will be serving the second game in his two-match suspension.

Key players

Relebohile Mofokeng (Orlando Pirates): The 20-year-old has stepped up to the plate, embracing the added responsibilities that come with his ever-evolving role in the team. Fresh off adding another assist to his tally, Mofokeng is one of many potent attacking threats in the Bucs setup and boasts an impressive 20 goal contributions in just 33 games across competitions.

Samir Nurkovic (SuperSport United): One of the new faces in the blue of Matsatsansa, the Serb has not hesitated to make an impact in his new surroundings. The 32-year-old is adept at finishing with either foot while posing a significant threat aerially and has already had a hand in four goals in his eight appearances for United.

Head-to-head

While the two sides have been neck-and-neck in the league over the years, it’s Matsatsantsa who have had the upper hand in their most recent Nedbank Cup encounters. They prevailed over the Buccaneers in back-to-back finals, clinching the title in 2016 and 2017.

Nevertheless, winning momentum in the ongoing season is currently with the Soweto giants, who have registered wins over their Tshwane counterparts in both cup and league football. They claimed a 3-1 win in the MTN8 quarter-final back in August, and were again victorious by a similar margin when they netted two unanswered goals to claim all three points in a Betway Premiership encounter that took place two months later.

Both those wins however occurred at Orlando Stadium, where they have won regularly against United.

Their record against them on the road has been a direct contrast to their home success, and they now head into Saturday’s do-or-die victory still in search of their first away win since November 2024.