Drawn against the KwaZulu-Natal outfit first up, the Soweto Giants had found themselves contesting one of the trickier match-ups in the Round of 32. They began their quest for a third straight Nedbank Cup triumph away to a side that had enjoyed rare cup success against them in the recent past.

Having attracted a sell-out crowd to the famous Umlazi venue, the two sides produced a cagey start with the first 15 minutes running by with no clear chances at goal. It was the defending champions who were first to find any sort of cohesion as they camped in the opposition half amid a compact defensive structure employed by the hosts.

They had to wait until the 17th minute for the first shot to come about, courtesy of Patrick Maswanganyi. The midfielder looked to curl one in from the edge of the box but landed it inches over the crossbar.

He however succeeded minutes from his earlier effort, as he found the breakthrough with a stunner from outside the box. This was after making a well-timed run towards the edge of the penalty area, benefitting from combination play between Mohau Nkota and Relebohile Mofokeng before unleashing a shot that evaded the diving Ian Otieno on its way to the back of the net.

The trio would repeat the sequence in the 26th minute when Pirates doubled their lead. This time with Maswanganyi finishing from inside the box as he took a few touches to set himself up before slotting home after he was again set up by Mofokeng.

The visitors’ lead could have been halved moments after the half-hour mark, when their defence was stretched. Thato Mahlomme found himself in space out on the left and was denied by the upright.

The momentum remained with the home side as halftime approached, but none of the chances they created could affect the scoreline. This meant that the Buccaneers took a comfortable lead as the two sides headed into the break.

Their two-goal advantage however only lasted two minutes after the restart, with the Natal Rich Boyz getting a dream start to the second period. Their top goal-scorer for the ongoing season, Yanela Mbuthuma provided a crucial goal from close range when he tapped in to reduce his side’s deficit.

Things could have been level just moments later as Langelihle Mhlongo went for goal from a fair distance, only to direct his effort over the crossbar. Pirates hit back almost immediately with an attempt from a similar distance, delivered by Thalente Mbatha who also failed to find his bearings.

The Soweto Giants’ most promising period in the second half came with 20 minutes left on the clock when they managed to conjure up a few opportunities. Mbatha and Tshegofatso Mabasa each could have created daylight between the two sides if not for Otieno, who pulled off a couple of crucial saves to keep the visitors’ lead to a minimum.

The Kenyan international however had no answer for the killer blow delivered by the defending champions deep in injury time. It was delivered by Mabasa, who produced a superb turn inside the box before firing home to restore his side’s two-goal lead with very little time remaining on the clock.

There wasn’t a lot that the home side could do to claw their way into the contest following the late strike, as Pirates avoided a potential banana peel to march into the Round of 16.

Pirates XI: Buthelezi, Sesane, Xoki (Maela 75’), Van Rooyen (Ndlozi 50’), Mbatha (Dlamini 75’), Makhaula, Maswanganyi, Nkota (Shandu 65’), Mofokeng, Mabasa.

Following a recent disruption to their schedule, it’s a return to domestic cup football for the Soweto Giants as they begin their venture to extend their reign as champions in the illustrious competition. They recently achieved a similar feat in the MTN8 where they bagged a third straight title. First up on their sights is a side that promises to provide a stiff challenge in what is one of a few all-Premiership match-ups in the opening round.

Form Guide

Knockout football has been a consistent feature for the Bucs throughout the season. They began their campaign with a successful MTN8 run which was quickly followed by involvement in the CAF Champions League preliminary rounds. They have recently advanced past the group stage through to the quarter-finals of the latter, with their cup record still only blemished by an early exit from the Carling Knockout.

The game against the Natal Rich Boyz arrives after a run of consecutive victories against CR Belouizdad of Algeria and Egyptian giants Al Ahly, while boasting four wins in their last five matches across competitions. Their only defeat in this sequence was in their most recent domestic outing, which was a league game away to Cape Town City which finished 1-0 in favour of the hosts.

In attempting to further cement their status as South Africa’s cup kings, Pirates cannot afford a similar slip-up against the men from KwaZulu-Natal who have had a brief but promising taste of cup football so far this season. They made it past the first two rounds of the Carling Knockout – going past Sekhukhune United and Cape Town City – before exiting in the semifinals.

While they have displayed glimpses of their ability to prevail in the pressure situations associated with cup football, similar success in the league has eluded them. They have so far amassed just two wins in 14 Premiership fixtures. They have failed to get over the line in four of their five most recent games, falling on the losing side three times while winning once and collecting a single draw.

With somewhat of a clean slate presented by their clash against the Buccaneers, the main item on their agenda will be to spark their season back to life with a famous victory. Their opponents, on the other hand, will go in determined to continue their dominance in the competition having played an impressive 10 matches since their last Nedbank Cup defeat.

Team News

Bucs coach José Riveiro will be forced to do a bit of shuffling at the back, due to the unavailability of defender Nkosinathi Sibisi. The 29-year-old is suspended for the fixture after picking up his fourth yellow card for the season in Cape Town.

Pirates will also be without Thabiso Monyane who is recovering from a hamstring injury picked up in the same fixture. A few more players are on the mend however, with Olisa Ndah and Goodman Mosele among those primed for a return in the near future.

Key Players

Sipho Chaine (Orlando Pirates): Key to Pirates’ excellent start to the season has been their defence, and the man between the sticks has been an important component in that regard. Chaine has kept six clean sheets in the league so far and 13 in all competitions, while his ball-playing ability adds an extra dimension to the team.

Yanela Mbuthuma (Richards Bay): The young centre-forward continues to grow into a key player for the Rich Boyz, effortlessly adapting to his role as the main man upfront. Half the goals scored by the hosts in all competitions this season have come off Mbuthuma’s boot while he also has an assist to his name, underlining his importance to the cause.

Head-to-Head

While recent form suggests a favourable match-up for the Buccaneers, they will be fully aware that there are never any guarantees in knockout football. Their hosts have showcased that at Moses Mabhida Stadium in the not-so-distant past when they edged past them on penalties during the second round of the 2023 Carling Knockout – a fixture that remains the only cup meeting between the two sides so far.

Aside from that particular upset, Riveiro’s men have had a slight upper hand in games against the KZN outfit as they boast wins in three of the six league games played between the two. The most recent of these was during the earlier part of the ongoing season, where Pirates only needed a solitary strike from Evidence Makgopa to collect all three points at King Zwelithini.

While not short of fireworks, their fixtures have not produced a flurry of goals with only five scored in regulation time throughout the seven encounters played to date. It is the Soweto Giants who lead comfortably in this regard as they account for four of these, while the Natal Rich Boyz only managed to find the net in their shock 1-0  win at Orlando Stadium towards the end of the 2023/24 league campaign.

TV Coverage and Ticket Info

The game kicks off at 15:00 and will be televised live on SuperSport PSL. You can also follow the action by keeping an eye on live updates posted across Orlando Pirates social media channels.

Tickets are available online at TicketPro as well as selected outlets nationwide.

A third straight title will be at stake for the Soweto Giants as they look to replicate the feat of the all-conquering team that donned the famous black and white from 1973 to 1975. That legendary outfit remains the only team to successfully defend the national cup title twice in a row and history now beckons for the Class of 2025 whose quest has been set out.

With the Natal Rich Boyz first up on the card, the two teams are set for their first-ever clash in the Nedbank Cup. However, the match will be somewhat of a grudge match following the Buccaneers’ early exit from the 2023/24 Carling Knockout in their only cup encounter to date.

For the men from KwaZulu-Natal, the fixture is an opportunity to underline their status as giant killers, having also claimed the scalp of Pirates’ Soweto rivals Kaizer Chiefs at a similar stage in the 2021 edition. They have since failed to advance past the opening round in each of the three subsequent tournaments, and will be determined to turn the tide by ending the back-to-back title holders’ reign.

The 2024/25 Nedbank Cup is scheduled to begin later this month, with fixture dates, venues, kick-off times set to be confirmed in the coming weeks.