Knockout football returns to Orlando Amstel Arena this Saturday when Orlando Pirates welcome Casric Stars for a crucial Nedbank Cup Round of 16 encounter.
It’s another must-win fixture for the Buccaneers who resume their mission to add another piece of silverware to their collection. They face a determined Stars side with nothing to lose as they go into the match-up ranked among the outsiders for the title.
A spot in the quarter-finals is at stake with the home side looking to progress past the second round for the seventh straight season, while their visitors attempt to tread on previously uncharted territory by securing an appearance in the Last Eight for the first time in their history.
Affectionately known as “The Believers”, the Mpumalanga outfit is one of the frontrunners for promotion into the top flight in a season where they have been one of the teams to beat in the Championship. They pause their push to climb up the ladder in the professional ranks to attempt furthering their Nedbank Cup ambitions by toppling one of the pre-tournament favourites.
Their journey to the Round of 16 kicked off in the preliminary rounds of the competition, where they clinched a narrow 1-0 win away to fellow second tier outfit Black Leopards. A more convincing 3-0 over ABC Motsepe League outfit Army Rocket in the Round of 32 set up their trip to Soweto, where they will be gunning for one of the tournament’s most famous upsets.
They go to the clash rather battle-hardened, following a bruising 2-2 league on the road against Championship rivals Hungry Lions. That result saw them slip to fourth in the standings amid a tight race for promotion.
Despite not getting over the line in each of their last two league outings, Stars remain a tough nut to crack with no defeats recorded across competitions in the new year. They last emerged on the losing side in late November and have gone on to register four wins in their seven games since, finding the net 12 times and only conceding three goals during this period.
That defensive resolve will meet its sternest test yet on Saturday, and the Mpumalanga outfit has reinforced its squad with new faces including former Bucs defender Justice Chabalala with players such as Mfundo Thikazi and Hlayisi Chauke also brought in to provide much-needed top-flight experience up front.
