Knockout football returns to Orlando Amstel Arena this Saturday when Orlando Pirates welcome Casric Stars for a crucial Nedbank Cup Round of 16 encounter.
It’s another must-win fixture for the Buccaneers who resume their mission to add another piece of silverware to their collection. They face a determined Stars side with nothing to lose as they go into the match-up ranked among the outsiders for the title.
A spot in the quarter-finals is at stake with the home side looking to progress past the second round for the seventh straight season, while their visitors attempt to tread on previously uncharted territory by securing an appearance in the Last Eight for the first time in their history.
The Opposition
Affectionately known as “The Believers”, the Mpumalanga outfit is one of the frontrunners for promotion into the top flight in a season where they have been one of the teams to beat in the Championship. They pause their push to climb up the ladder in the professional ranks to attempt furthering their Nedbank Cup ambitions by toppling one of the pre-tournament favourites.
Their journey to the Round of 16 kicked off in the preliminary rounds of the competition, where they clinched a narrow 1-0 win away to fellow second tier outfit Black Leopards. A more convincing 3-0 over ABC Motsepe League outfit Army Rocket in the Round of 32 set up their trip to Soweto, where they will be gunning for one of the tournament’s most famous upsets.
They go to the clash rather battle-hardened, following a bruising 2-2 league on the road against Championship rivals Hungry Lions. That result saw them slip to fourth in the standings amid a tight race for promotion.
Despite not getting over the line in each of their last two league outings, Stars remain a tough nut to crack with no defeats recorded across competitions in the new year. They last emerged on the losing side in late November and have gone on to register four wins in their seven games since, finding the net 12 times and only conceding three goals during this period.
That defensive resolve will meet its sternest test yet on Saturday, and the Mpumalanga outfit has reinforced its squad with new faces including former Bucs defender Justice Chabalala with players such as Mfundo Thikazi and Hlayisi Chauke also brought in to provide much-needed top-flight experience up front.
Bucs Team News
As for Pirates, the fixture presents an opportunity to bounce back following a disappointing outing in the league in midweek. They suffered a rare home defeat to Premiership title rivals Mamelodi Sundowns, and will be determined to keep their charge for an 11th Nedbank title alive with victory on the weekend.
They face yet another unfamiliar foe in the competition, having kicked things off against third tier outfit Tshakhuma Tsha Madzivhandila.
Against the men from Limpopo, the Buccaneers overcame the odd nervy moment to produce one of the biggest winning margins in the Round of 32 in securing a 4-1 win away from home. They were drawn as hosts for the next round and will draw confidence from what is an excellent home record in the competition.
Since suffering a second round exit at the hands of Free State Stars in 2012, Pirates have been near-unbeatable as hosts in the Nedbank Cup. They have recorded victory in 12 of their 13 subsequent matches, only failing to do so when their 2020 six-goal thriller against Bidvest Wits needed the intervention of a shootout to produce a winner. It’s a record they are eager to see extend much further, and will require a clinical showing against a determined Stars outfit.
There could be some reshuffling of the pack ahead of the fixture with Sipho Mbule and Andre de Jong among those that could feature in the with a chance of being drafted into the starting lineup after featuring on the bench in midweek.
Head-to-Head
With Stars among the newest names in the professional ranks, they have so far avoided crossing paths with the Buccaneers. This means that the two sides are set for a historic occasion as they lock horns in a competitive fixture for the first time in their history.
TV Coverage and Ticket Info
The match is scheduled to kick off at 18:00 with a live broadcast available on SuperSport PSL. Live updates will be broadcast across all Orlando Pirates social media channels.
Tickets to attend the match are available for purchase online on OpenTickets as well as selected retail outlets nationwide.
SOURCED FROM THE CLUB’S WEBSITE.
