Carling Knockout Cup semi-finals: Pirates, Sundowns, Chiefs and Stellies battle for final spots

Immediately after the Fifa international break ends on Tuesday, domestic football will get down to business, as Orlando Pirates, Stellenbosch FC, Mamelodi Sundowns and Kaizer Chiefs begin their Carling Knockout Cup semi-final preparations.

All four teams will be in action on Saturday, with Pirates set to travel to the Cape to take on Stellenbosch. Sundowns and Chiefs will bring Gauteng to a standstill when they lock horns in what is expected to be a mouthwatering showdown.

The Buccaneers are on course to defend their crown after a hard-fought quarterfinal win over Sekhukhune United. Standing in their way of setting foot in the final is Stellies – the inaugural winners of the Knockout Cup when they lifted the title in 2023 under coach Steve Barker. With serial winner Gavin Hunt now at the helm, Stellies will surely fancy their chances of going all the way and causing an upset against the reigning champs.

In the other semi-final, Sundowns, who were the finalists in 2024, will want to do what they did with the MTN8 this season and end their drought in another domestic cup competition.

However, it will not be easy because they will be squaring off against a tricky and determined Chiefs side.

The storied rivalry between these two South African giants has been shaped by their titanic clashes in this competition and will resume that rivalry when they fight for a place in the final of this year’s edition.

Their coaches are under pressure to reach the final because their futures are said to depend on the result on Saturday.

Despite winning the MTN8, Miguel Cardo failed to inspire Sundowns to the group stages of the CAF Champions League as holders. Amakhosi mentor Fernando da Cruz, on the other hand, is also under pressure. His team has found it difficult to be consistent and has been blowing hot and cold since the start of the season.

Chiefs also failed to qualify for the stages of the Confederations Cup under his watch, so the fans and the club will want to win the Knockout Cup, especially because they are much closer to vying for it.

Immediately after the Fifa international break ends on Tuesday, domestic football will get down to business, as Orlando Pirates, Stellenbosch FC, Mamelodi Sundowns and Kaizer Chiefs begin their Carling Knockout Cup semi-final preparations.

All four teams will be in action on Saturday, with Pirates set to travel to the Cape to take on Stellenbosch. Sundowns and Chiefs will bring Gauteng to a standstill when they lock horns in what is expected to be a mouthwatering showdown.

The Buccaneers are on course to defend their crown after a hard-fought quarterfinal win over Sekhukhune United. Standing in their way of setting foot in the final is Stellies – the inaugural winners of the Knockout Cup when they lifted the title in 2023 under coach Steve Barker. With serial winner Gavin Hunt now at the helm, Stellies will surely fancy their chances of going all the way and causing an upset against the reigning champs.

In the other semi-final, Sundowns, who were the finalists in 2024, will want to do what they did with the MTN8 this season and end their drought in another domestic cup competition.

However, it will not be easy because they will be squaring off against a tricky and determined Chiefs side.

The storied rivalry between these two South African giants has been shaped by their titanic clashes in this competition and will resume that rivalry when they fight for a place in the final of this year’s edition.

Their coaches are under pressure to reach the final because their futures are said to depend on the result on Saturday.

Despite winning the MTN8, Miguel Cardo failed to inspire Sundowns to the group stages of the CAF Champions League as holders. Amakhosi mentor Fernando da Cruz, on the other hand, is also under pressure. His team has found it difficult to be consistent and has been blowing hot and cold since the start of the season.

Chiefs also failed to qualify for the stages of the Confederations Cup under his watch, so the fans and the club will want to win the Knockout Cup, especially because they are much closer to vying for it.

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Immediately after the Fifa international break ends on Tuesday, domestic football will get down to business, as Orlando Pirates, Stellenbosch FC, Mamelodi Sundowns and Kaizer Chiefs begin their Carling Knockout Cup semi-final preparations.

All four teams will be in action on Saturday, with Pirates set to travel to the Cape to take on Stellenbosch. Sundowns and Chiefs will bring Gauteng to a standstill when they lock horns in what is expected to be a mouthwatering showdown.

The Buccaneers are on course to defend their crown after a hard-fought quarterfinal win over Sekhukhune United. Standing in their way of setting foot in the final is Stellies – the inaugural winners of the Knockout Cup when they lifted the title in 2023 under coach Steve Barker. With serial winner Gavin Hunt now at the helm, Stellies will surely fancy their chances of going all the way and causing an upset against the reigning champs.

In the other semi-final, Sundowns, who were the finalists in 2024, will want to do what they did with the MTN8 this season and end their drought in another domestic cup competition.

However, it will not be easy because they will be squaring off against a tricky and determined Chiefs side.

The storied rivalry between these two South African giants has been shaped by their titanic clashes in this competition and will resume that rivalry when they fight for a place in the final of this year’s edition.

Their coaches are under pressure to reach the final because their futures are said to depend on the result on Saturday.

Despite winning the MTN8, Miguel Cardo failed to inspire Sundowns to the group stages of the CAF Champions League as holders. Amakhosi mentor Fernando da Cruz, on the other hand, is also under pressure. His team has found it difficult to be consistent and has been blowing hot and cold since the start of the season.

Chiefs also failed to qualify for the stages of the Confederations Cup under his watch, so the fans and the club will want to win the Knockout Cup, especially because they are much closer to vying for it.