Orlando Pirates will face AmaZulu in the Nedbank Cup quarter-finals at the Moses Mabhida Stadium on Saturday.
It’s the first of back-to-back encounters between the two oldest clubs in the competition, who are also due to renew rivalries in a league clash held in Soweto in the space of a week.
The Buccaneers come into the match as favourites having won the competition last season. Both teams registered comfortable wins in the previous round of the competition, and have made it to the Last Eight without conceding.
Pirates humiliated Golden Arrows 7-1 in their previous match which should make AmaZulu wary ahead of the Nedbank Cup encounter.
In the ‘Ke Yona’ competition, the Buccaneers have netted an impressive 10 goals over the two concluded rounds. Jose Riveiro’s troops put six past fourth-tier outfit Crystal Lake at Mbombela Stadium before beating Championship side Hungry Lions 4-0 in their Round of 16 clash.
All three of Pirates’ wins in their last five games across competitions have come on home turf.
Usuthu will also take some confidence to the clash, having ended a six-match winless run in the league with a 1-0 victory away to Cape Town City in their last outing.
They have been more consistent in the Nedbank Cup, reaching the quarterfinals through a narrow win against Royal AM in the Round of 32 followed by a 2-0 victory over Sekhukhune United.
Pirates are yet to play a PSL side in the Nedbank Cup and this could give AmaZulu a slight edge. The Buccaneers will be without Tapelo Xoki and Nkosinathi Sibisi through suspension.
Sibisi is completing a two-match ban following his red card against Moroka Swallows, while Xoki is forced to sit out one match having accumulated enough yellow cards to trigger a suspension.
Pirates and AmaZulu fight for a spot in Nedbank Cup semi-final
Their absence presents another opportunity for the likes of Sandile Mthethwa and Thabiso Sesane who have amassed some minutes on the pitch in recent weeks.
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