Premier Soccer League announces kick-off time and ticketing information for highly anticipated Carling Knockout showdown pitting Orlando Pirates and Marumo Gallants

After leaving football fans waiting for weeks, PSL has now confirmed that the final pitting Pirates and Gallants will kick off at 18h00.

After the conclusion of the semi-finals, PSL announced the venue where the final game will be held and called for patience in regard to the kick-off time.

Apart from confirming the kick-off time, PSL has also given an update on ticketing information.

“The Premier Soccer League [PSL] has confirmed the kick-off time and ticketing information for the highly anticipated Carling Knockout Final," PSL said in a statement released on Wednesday.

“The 2025 Carling Knockout Final between Orlando Pirates and Marumo Gallants will take place at the Peter Mokaba Stadium in Polokwane on Saturday, 06 December 2025. The match will kick off at 18h00," it added.

“Tickets will go on sale at 10h00 on Friday, 28 November 2025. They will be available at Open Tickets outlets nationwide, including Shoprite and Checkers stores. Spectators may also purchase tickets online.

“General Access Tickets will be priced at R100 each. To ensure fair access, each transaction will be limited to purchasing a maximum of four tickets.

“The PSL urges members of the public to exercise caution and only purchase tickets through official channels. Tickets bought from third parties will be invalid and will not grant entry into the stadium.”

This season, Carling Knockout has a special ambassador; former Pirates head coach Jose Riveiro was named to play the off-the-pitch role.

Although Riveiro had a rather successful three-stint with Bucs – he won five trophies – in three years, but the Carling Knockout is not part of his success.

When he was asked which side he thinks would win, the Spaniard was cagey, as he only said he anticipates a good final.

“It is definitely a fantastic final. I think Pirates are having a fantastic season and playing very good football, one more time," Riveiro told the media.

"Marumo have a kind of fresh team with also exciting players and are playing good football as well, so I am sure they will offer a good spectacle and a good show for the fans."

"And as you said, I believe in my time here, with this new format, the final was always kind of unexpected," he added.

“We didn’t have, personally, a good record in the tournament, as you said before. But it is a good opportunity for a lot of players to be in this final, and especially in the second one, to show who they are."

"Finals usually are not the most beautiful or fun games in terms of entertainment, but I think this one, thinking about the nature of both teams and both coaches, I think they will both play for the win from the first minute."

"They will try to play fast and vertical to the goals and try to create chances. I think both teams are not similar but share the same type of philosophy, so hopefully an open final with goals, entertainment, and fun," he concluded.

As Pirates aim to beat Gallants and win the second domestic trophy after defending the MTN8 earlier in the season, for Ouaddou, it is a rare emotional chance to meet his former side.

Ouaddou is targeting a second trophy with the Soweto giants in his debut season, and what stands between him and that record is a team he was in charge of before he resigned five months ago.

Although Bucs are motivated to fight and bag this trophy, it will not undo the heartbreaking elimination from the CAF Champions League.

Last season, the Buccaneers reached the last four before they were eliminated by eventual champions Pyramids FC of Egypt. This season, one of their targets was to go all the way and even win another continental star, but they were eliminated by Saint Eloi Lupopo in the second preliminary round.