Durban football followers have never disappointed at all, and it was evident when the match tickets for this year’s MTN8 Cup final were sold out in just under four hours.
So, fireworks can be expected when Orlando Pirates and Stellenbosch FC come face-to-face in the final at the picturesque Moses Mabhida Stadium on Saturday night.
After a swashbuckling start, which resulted in Stellies outplaying and outclassing Mamelodi Sundowns over two legs in the semi-finals, the Cape side are now blowing hot and cold.
The Buccaneers, on the other side, are on top of the world and they are leaving their opponents with blue-eyes and bruised faces.
So, it’s either that Stellies pick themselves up, show grit and determination to regain their fearsome aura, or the Buccaneers will pummel them, just like they did Polokwane City (3-0), Cape Town City, and Chippa United, all in the league.
Sunday World takes a glance at the futuristic venue and some of the players who are
expected to steal the limelight on Saturday.
Stellies:
- Andre de Jong: The gangling forward has become an integral part of the Stellies team with his amazing work rate, remains a constant thorn in the flesh for PSL defenders. He has taken over from Iqraam Rayners, who joined Sundowns and will want to prove a point.
- Sage Stephens: The burly goalkeeper has conceded a single goal in the three MTN8 matches his club has played this season, in the quarter-finals against TS Galaxy. He kept two clean sheets against the starstudded Sundowns in the semi-finals.
- Jayden Adams: The young Bafana Bafana star is growing in stature and staking a claim for himself in SA football. He has proven himself in the league and in the national team set-up that he is definitely one for the future.
- Devon Titus: He has started all the matches in the tournament this season. The diminutive forward is fearless and works well with Adams and links well with De Jong.
Buccaneers:
- Tshegofatso Mabasa: He has regained his scoring prowess after loan stints with Sekhukhune United and Moroka Swallows. The reigning 2023/24 PSL top goalscorer continued where he left off last season by locating the net in the match against Cape Town City.
- Deon Hotto: The Namibian is playing his best football since he arrived in the country. He is enjoying a rich vein of form and has won several Man of the Match accolades in the new season. His lung-busting gallops on the left wing have left many teams exposed.
- Olisa Ndah: He has literally led from the back since he was honoured with the captain’s armband. The wiry but wily central defender can read the game very well, which affords him the skill to initiate and launch attacks from the back.
- Monnapule Saleng: The speedy dribbling wizard has a big match temperament, and he is capable of leading the Pirates to the land of honey and milk. He did it before, terrorising Sundowns defenders and single-handedly winning the trophy for the Sea Robbers two seasons ago.
Other stars to watch from the Buccaneers side that are oozing with talent are the usual suspects Relebohile Mofokeng, Patrick Maswanganyi, Thalente Mbatha, Kabelo Dlamini, Thabiso Sesane, Evidence Makgopa and Makhehleni Makhaula.
From their Mother City rivals, Fawaaz Basadien, Athenkosi Mcaba and Lehlohonolo Mojela are the players to keep an eye on.
The Moses Mabhida Stadium:
The 2010 Fifa World Cup venue received international acclaim as one of the most beautiful and aesthetically crafted stadiums in the world.
The bowl shape and Teflon-coated roof keep the noise inside, and that creates a very intimate and electrifying atmosphere.
The stadium hosted seven matches during the 2010 Fifa World Cup and six matches in the 2013 Afcon that was hosted by SA.
It has also hosted various cup finals in the MTN8, the Telkom Knockout, and the Nedbank Cup. It also caters for big music concerts and events.
