After a morale-boosting win over Kaizer Chiefs in the Betway Premiership last time out, Orlando Pirates will now look to go one step closer in defending their Carling Knockout title when they take on Sekhukhune United in quarterfinals at the Orlando Amstel Arena on Saturday.
Kick-off is at 3:00pm (CAT, GMT+2).
CURRENT FORM
The Buccaneers booked their ticket into the Carling Knockout quarterfinals following a 3-0 win over Milford at the Orlando Amstel Arena on 27 October, as they continued their blistering start to the 2026/27 campaign.
While Thapelo Mokobodi opened the scoring, Pirates were boosted by Tshepang Moremi’s second-half brace, as the Sea Robbers punished Milford’s high defensive line on numerous occasions.
Babina Noko, on the other hand, advanced owing to a 3-1 win against Richards Bay at the New Peter Mokaba Stadium on 25 October.
Sekhukhune made sure of a positive result in their round of 16 clash as Chibuike Ohizu, Thabang Makubo and Bethel Muzeu got their names onto the scoresheet.
WHAT WAS SAID
Speaking ahead of Pirates' upcoming cup assignment, captain Nkosinathi Sibisi boldly expressed that the Soweto giants are aiming to win on all fronts this season after missing out on the MTN8 title.
“We can do quite a lot this season. We are gunning for everything. We fell short in the MTN8, but there’s still plenty to play for,” Sibisi said.
“There’s still the league and the Carling Knockout to defend, while we are also in the Champions League. Later on there’s the Nedbank Cup to win, so we are going for everything.”
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Orlando Pirates: Yanela Mbuthuma – After getting his name on the scoresheet in the Soweto Derby, Mbuthuma will now look to carry his form into the Carling Knockout this weekend. As a dangerous weapon in the final third, Mbuthuma’s movement on and off the ball could prove to be a problem for Sekhukhune throughout the match.
Sekhukhune United: Chibuike Ohizu – Largely known for his tireless running, Ohizu could come as his secret weapon this weekend. In facing a defensively sound outfit, Ohizu’s will no doubt look to create openings in the Pirates backline by dragging players out of position on either side of the box.