Orlando Pirates are standing on the precipice of South African football history, and they are aiming to win the MTN8 title for a record fifth consecutive seasons, when they play against Mamelodi Sundowns in the final on Saturday (10 October) at the Moses Mabhida Stadium. Kick-off is at 6:00pm.
If the Buccaneers can win tonight, they will have established complete dominance in this knockout tournament, having won it for four seaons in a row.
While Sundowns have dictated terms in the modern league era, the MTN8 trophy has eluded them since 2021. Coach Miguel Cardoso’s side is determined to secure their first domestic cup triumph since 2022 to break the Buccaneers’ cup stranglehold.
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Pirates enjoyed a highly disciplined path to the final, dismantling Sekhukhune United 4-0 on aggregate while maintaining a rock-solid defensive unit. Sundowns endured a roller-coaster semi-final, progressing via a tense 3-3 aggregate victory over Golden Arrows after recovering from a first-leg deficit.
Expect Abdeslam Ouaddou to structure a tight, risk-averse defense looking to hit on the break through the creative movement of Patrick Maswanganyi and local standout Oswin Appollis.
The Brazilians are anticipated to lean into heavy possession and tactical ball rotation. Captain Ronwen Williams anchors the defense, while the international depth of Marcelo Allende and forward Brayan León—who hit a brace against Pirates earlier this year—will lead the offensive charge.
READ: Bucs and Downs look to settle old scores in MTN8 final moment of truth
For Sundowns, the journey to reaching the final was a rollercoaster for Bafana Ba Style but the highlight has to be the two-legged semifinal round. Trailing at home in the first leg, a resilient Masandawana side managed to overturn the result in the second leg when they paid Lamontville Golden Arrows a visit in KwaZulu-Natal. They walked away with a qualification to the final for the first time since 2023.
For coach Miguel Cardoso, this will be his first domestic cup final since holding the fort in Chloorkop and the Portuguese tactician has expressed his joy to be playing his first domestic cup final in Brazilians colours. Furthermore, he looked ahead to the game, saying he expects a titanic tussle of a match, one that will be exciting for football lovers.
“We know the responsibility of a match like this. We don’t take that away and we want to do well. For some time, myself and the coaching staff, we have never played in a domestic cup final. So, it’s obviously an important moment for us as well. But for us, it’s just the next match,” he said.
“We will, however, go to the game with good intentions and commitment. We understand what is at stake and we would like to continue the season in the best way possible. We’ll take nothing for granted.”
- Orlando Pirates are standing on the precipice of South African football history, and they are aiming to win the MTN8 title for a record fifth consecutive seasons, when they play against Mamelodi Sundowns in the final on Saturday (10 October) at the Moses Mabhida Stadium.
- Kick-off is at 6:00pm.
- If the Buccaneers can win tonight, they will have established complete dominance in this knockout tournament, having won it for four seaons in a row.
- While Sundowns have dictated terms in the modern league era, the MTN8 trophy has eluded them since 2021.
- Coach Miguel Cardoso’s side is determined to secure their first domestic cup triumph since 2022 to break the Buccaneers’ cup stranglehold.
