Knockout Cup news

Bucs and Bahlabane Ba Ntwa will face off at the 45,500-capacity stadium that is expected to host a sold-out affair. Last season, the final game was held at Free State Stadium in Bloemfontein when Magesi FC shockingly beat pre-match favourites Mamelodi Sundowns 2-1 to clinch the domestic title. This will be the first final at the Peter Mokaba Stadium for the first time in almost 10 years.

When the Buccaneers announced the Moroccan tactician as Jose Riveiro’s successor at the beginning of the season, many were left unconvinced. The lanky former defender had big shoes to fill, replacing a man who had won the hearts of the ‘Happy People’ after bringing much-craved success.

The Premier Soccer League sides served up an entertaining encounter as they fought for a final slot in the domestic cup. After a rather dull first half, a four-goal thriller was witnessed in a livelier second half. Despite the thrilling show, no team managed to get a winning goal even in extra time, and the winner was decided from the post-match penalty shoot-out.

The Buccaneers crashed out in the second preliminary round, losing the two-legged tie to DR Congo’s Saint-Eloi Lupopo. The Soweto giants had hoped to build on last season’s run, which ended in a semi-final defeat to eventual champions Pyramids, making this early exit a bitter blow to their continental ambitions.

After a painful CAF Champions League exit, the Buccaneers quickly picked themselves up, turning their continental disappointment into domestic motivation. They managed to weather a stern challenge from the Natal Rich Boyz to storm into the final of the Beer Cup where they face the winner of the game between Golden Arrows and Marumo Gallants who clash in the other semi-final.

GOAL gives you the details to follow Abafana Bes'thende's hosting of Bahlabane ba Ntwa in a Carling Knockout semi-final tie at the King Zwelithini Stadium on Sunday. Both teams have never won this competition before and want to give themselves a chance to lift the trophy. Sunday's winner will meet Orlando Pirates in the final after the Soweto giants beat Richards Bay on Saturday.

The Sea Robbers will be taking part in their second cup final this season after defending the MTN8 earlier. Reaching the ultimate stage of the domestic competition also means Ouaddou is in a prime position to win a second trophy in his debut season with the Soweto giants. However, elimination from the CAF Champions League at the preliminary stage will always be cited by his critics.

The Buccaneers have been excellent in domestic competitions, where they are chasing a quadruple after the CAF Champions League exit. After winning the MTN8, the Sea Robbers are in the Carling Knockout final following their success this weekend in the semi-final staged at the Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban.

The defending Premier Soccer League champions have found the going a bit tough in the 2025/26 edition, despite sitting on top of the table after 12 games. The Soweto giants have been doing quite well in the South African top-flight as opposed to the Brazilians who, despite their quality, seem to lose it in critical times.

The win is a morale boost for the Sea Robbers, who were recently eliminated by Saint-Eloi Lupopo in the CAF Champions League. Advancing to the final of the competition means Bucs' chances of winning another domestic trophy are now a high probability. For Richards Bay, it is an agonising moment after advancing to the last four only to lose by a slim scoreline.

The Amakhosi defender did not complete the game on Friday, as he was withdrawn following the injury scare. The former Bucs tactician is now worried that his main defender might miss the next match. Since he arrived at his new club, the Glamour Boys' loanee has stamped his authority and become a regular starter, and Da Gama has also explained how he has been very helpful for them so far.

Masandawana are in Group C, a pool considered the toughest given the calibre of teams that will clash there. Another interesting factor that makes the group interesting is the fact that the Tshwane giants will face their former head coach, Rhulani Mokwena, who is in charge of Algeria's MC Alger. Lupopo are set for another trip south, after heartbreakingly eliminating the Sea Robbers in the second preliminary round.

GOAL gives you the details to follow the Soweto giants' Carling Knockout semi-final clash with the Natal Rich Boyz at Moses Mabhida Stadium on Saturday. The Buccaneers seem to have buried the disappointment of being knocked out of the CAF Champions League by posting positive results on the domestic scene. They come up against opponents from KwaZulu-Natal who are bidding to win their first-ever major trophy.

The Sea Robbers are fresh from securing a huge 3-1 win in the midweek Premier Soccer League assignment that took them second on the table. They want nothing less than a slot in the final of the ongoing annual domestic competition when they come face to face with the Natal Rich Boys this weekend.

The Carling Knockout Cup semi-finals promise tension, theatre, and legacy-defining football. On Saturday, the Buccaneers revisit the Natal Rich Boys with revenge in their veins. On Sunday, Abafana Bes’thende and Bahlabane Ba Ntwa collide in a clash of ambition and grit. Two days. Four teams. One golden ticket to the final.

The 21-year-old has been struggling for consistency at Orlando Pirates since the start of the season. With South Africa preparing for the biennial continental competition, the 73-year-old former Cameroon tactician has refused to guarantee the versatile attacker a place in his squad with barely a month before he names his final team.

The Buccaneers coach continued with his rotation policy in Wednesday's Premier Soccer League clash against Golden Arrows at King Zwelithini Stadium. He opted to rest central defender Mbekezeli Mbokazi, who has been a regular starter since March. In his place, captain and experienced defender Nkosinathi Sibisi was handed a start. The coach has been trying to keep his squad fresh and competitive in a move that also underlines depth within the Buccaneers camp.