The day all staunch South African football fans have been eagerly waiting for is finally here.
Kaizer Chiefs and Orlando Pirates will today collide in the Nedbank Cup final at the Moses Mabhida Stadium.
Unlike the usual Soweto derbies, where bragging rights and three points are the only things at stake, this time, there will be a lot more riding on the game.
Amakhosi will be more than desperate, eager to end their decade-long trophy drought. On the other hand, Amabhakaniya will be razor focused on defending their title and make history by becoming the first PSL club to win the Nedbank Cup three times in a row.
Building up to the game, the two Soweto giants met in a Betway Premiership encounter, where Pirates came from behind to win 2-1 at the FNB Stadium last Saturday.
That was the second loss for Chiefs to their rivals this season, so it goes without saying that the Buccaneers will be going into this match with their tails up and oozing confidence.
However, they will be going up against a wounded Amakhosi side that will be looking to redeem themselves and salvage what has been one of their worst seasons.
And what a way it will be to do it in a cup final against their biggest nemesis in the Buccaneers.
For their part, Pirates will seek to gift their outgoing coach Jose Riveiro one last piece of silverware since the league title seems to be now out of reach. Clearly, Mamelodi Sundowns are on course to defend their title once again.
“Like every other final, it’s pressure, and it’s normal to be one more time in the final. It’s what we were looking for since day one. We worked hard enough to find ourselves regularly in every final since we started,” Riveiro said ahead of the game.
“We won’t play the occasion, but we’ll focus on the game plan, and we feel we can beat Chiefs if we’re focusing on the game.”
Riveiro’s opposite number, Nasreddine Nabi, stands in the way. The Tunisian mentor is under pressure from the fans to return Amakhosi to their glory days, and winning the Nedbank Cup will undoubtedly set the tone for the Glamour Boys.
“All the players, the coaching staff, and management know how important it will be for us to win this trophy for the fans,” Nabi said.
“The fans are tired of the talking. So, the least we can do as the club is to deliver the Nedbank Cup to them. And that’s because they deserve it for all the support that they have shown to us throughout the season.”
The already sold-out game is scheduled to kick off at 3:30 pm.
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