This is the 41st League Cup final since its inception in 1982.
Marumo Gallants are the 27th different club to reach the League Cup final since 1982.
Gallants become the eighth different side that Pirates will face in what will be the Buccaneers’ 10th League Cup final.
Pirates have previously met Durban Bush Bucks, Mamelodi Sundowns, Kaizer Chiefs, Platinum Stars, Baroka, Wits (x2) and Ajax Cape Town (x2).
Orlando Pirates and Marumo Gallants meet for the 10th time in all competitions when they contest the 2025 Carling Knockout final.
This will be the first time the sides meet in the League Cup although they have twice met in knockout matches, both in the Nedbank Cup.
In seven previous league matches between the sides, Pirates have won four, Gallants have won two and one game has been drawn.
Their first meeting of the 2021-22 season, with Marumo Gallants as hosts, on the 24th of August 2021 ended 0-0.
That 0-0 draw in 2021-22 is the only game between the sides not to produce goals or a winner.
Orlando Pirates claimed their first win over Marumo Gallants in the second meeting of the 2021-22 season, in a 2-1 win as hosts. Siphelele Ntshangase gave Gallants the lead in the 12th minute, a Kwame Peprah brace (24’, 26’) gave Pirates victory.
Their first Nedbank Cup meeting came in the Last 16 in the 2021-22 season with Gallants as host on the 9th of March 2022. They drew 1-1 After Extra Time and Gallants won 5-4 on penalties.
In the 2022-23 season Pirates completed a league double against Gallants winning 1-0 at home (Mako 3’) and 2-0 away (Saleng 36’, Ndlondlo [pen] 68’).
Last season Pirates won the first meeting at home 8-1 on the 24th December 2024.
A Kenneth Nthatheni own goal gave Pirates the lead but was cancelled out by Gabadinho Mhango before Pirates scored another seven goals – a Tshegofatso Mabasa hat-trick, a Thalente Mbatha brace and goals from Deano Van Rooyen and Boitumelo Radiopane.
The earliest goal in this tie came in this match with Kenneth Nthatheni’s own goal coming after 10 seconds.
The 8-1 win for Orlando Pirates was their biggest margin of victory in the PSL Era.
Pirates bettered their previous biggest win in the PSL Era of a six-goal margin which they have achieved three times. Pirates defeated Free State Stars 6-0 at home on the 12th of April 2000, Ajax Cape Town 6-0 at home on the 22nd of September 2004 and Golden Arrows 7-1 at home on the 6th of April 2024.
It was the 4th time in the PSL Era that a side has won by a seven-goal margin.
Two other sides have won by a seven-goal margin in the PSL Era, Manning Rangers won 7-0 against Hellenic (2001), SuperSport United won 8-1 against Zulu Royals (2004) and 7-0 against Maritzburg United (2011).
Gallants recorded their first league win over Pirates in their second meeting of 2024/25, Gabadinho Mhango (15’) and an own goal from Thalente Mbatha (74’) saw Gallants through to victory in what was Abdeslam Ouaddou’s first game in charge of the Bloem-based side.
Mhango scored in both league fixtures in 2024/25 – becoming the first player in this fixture to do so.
They also met in the Nedbank Cup Semi-Finals in 2024/25 which Pirates won 1-0 courtesy of a Kabelo Dlamini goal 22 minutes in.
Gallants hosted Pirates on MD2 of the 2025/26 Betway Premiership season on the 12th of August. Patrick Maswanganyi opened the scoring 16 minutes in before Daniel Msendami equalized on the stroke of halftime. Jaisen Clifford won the game for Gallants in injury time.
Overall Pirates have kept four clean-sheets against Gallants, two of which have come on their travels in 2021-22 and 2022-23, Gallants have two clean-sheets in this tie.
The last eight games in all competitions have produced goals, since the only goalless draw in the 2021-22 season.
Across the eight meetings in all competitions that have produced goals, Pirates have scored the opening goal five times while Gallants have opened the scoring on three occasions.
Both sides have previously managed to come from a goal down to win, Pirates doing so in their 2021-22 meeting that ended 2-1 while Gallants managed the same this season.
In the 12 Knockout tournaments staged since 2010-11, there have been 11 different winners. Only Mamelodi Sundowns have lifted the trophy twice over this period (2015-16 and 2019-20).
The biggest margin of victory in a League Cup Final was a 5-0 win for Kaizer Chiefs over Jomo Cosmos in the 2001-02 Coca-Cola Cup Final.
In the PSL era, since 1996-97, ten League Cup finals have gone to extra time.
There have been six penalty shootouts in the League Cup Final in the PSL Era, the most recent being 2023’s final which saw Stellenbosch defeat TS Galaxy.
The last 14 League Cup Finals have produced goals, with the last goalless draw coming in the 2007-08 Final. Kaizer Chiefs defeated Mamelodi Sundowns on penalties following a 0-0 draw After Extra Time.
Of the last nine League Cup Finals eight have seen both sides score, the only exception Bidvest Wits’ 1-0 win over Bloemfontein Celtic in 2017-18.
Twelve of the last 14 finals have a produced a winner in open play, the only exceptions being last 2023’s final and Baroka’s win over Pirates in 2018-19, which was decided on penalties.
SOURCED FROM THE PSL WEBSITE.
