Pirates Host Gallants in Carling Knockout Showpiece

Orlando Pirates will play host to Marumo Gallants in the Carling Knockout final, set to be contested at Peter Mokaba Stadium in December.

The two teams are the last two surviving in the competition after the Buccaneers secured their spot through a tight 1-0 win over Richards Bay at Moses Mabhida on Saturday. Bahlabani Ba Ntwa meanwhile prevailed in a tensely-fought marathon encounter against Golden Arrows at King Zwelithini Stadium, which had to be decided by penalties after things finished deadlocked after 120 minutes.

The weekend’s dramatic events have set up a first-ever cup final between Pirates and Gallants, who will also be meeting for the first time in the Carling Knockout.

Their two previous cup clashes each were in the Nedbank Cup with the first one – a Round of 16 clash in the 2021/22 campaign – producing an upset when the Soweto Giants fell short on penalties. They later made amends in the semifinals of last season’s edition by emerging on the winning side in a match that finished 1-0 with Kabelo Dlamini providing the solitary goal on the day.

Having produced some thrillers in what is still a young rivalry, they’re set for yet another mouth-watering encounter with the stakes at their highest as the Buccaneers look to add one more prize to their collection against a side that’s no stranger to the winners’ podium in their relatively short history at the top level of South African football.

The final is scheduled to take place on Saturday, 6 December with the kick-off time set to be determined at a later stage.

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