The wait is finally over as Orlando Pirates and Sekhukhune United gear up for the much-anticipated Nedbank Cup final at the Loftus Versfeld Stadium on Saturday evening.
Both sides will be desperate to end their 2022/23 campaign on a high, as the Buccaneers are in pursuit to clinch their second trophy of the season after MTN8, while Babina Noko will be vying for history and win their first ever silverware after two-full seasons in the DStv Premiership.
Sekhukhune’s road to the final started off smoothly, as they eased past amateur side Liver Brothers in the round of 32, thumping them 6-0. That victory was followed by another comfortable 2-0 win against Cape Town Spurs in the last 16.
Things got a bit tougher for coach Brandon Truter’s side in the quarterfinals and semi-finals, as they had to dig deep against fellow DStv Premiership teams Chippa United and Stellenbosch FC, respectively. They beat Chippa 2-1 and needed penalties to go past a stubborn Stellies side and book a final against Pirates.
Meanwhile, the Buccaneers probably had the trickiest run in the giants slaying competition, which saw them play against three lower-division teams – All Stars, Venda Football Academy, and giants slayers Dondol Stars, before their semi-final meeting against Soweto rivals Kaizer Chiefs.
Despite Sekhukhune going into the encounter with an advantage, having beaten them 2-0 and drew 1-1 in the DStv Premiership, Pirates stand as favourites to win the game and conclude their season by lifting the Nedbank Cup.
Kick-off time is at 6pm.
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