It’s the 2025 Carling Knockout final between Orlando Pirates and Marumo Gallants at the Peter Mokaba Stadium, kicking off at 18:00.
STARTING LINE-UPS
Pirates: Chaine, Lebitso, Mbokazi, Seema, Ndaba, Makhaula, Mbatha, Nemtajela, Appollis, Mofokeng, Makgopa.
Substitutes: To be confirmed
Gallants: To be confirmed:
MORE DETAILS
Orlando Pirates will run out in their classic black strip after winning the kit toss, and the stage is set for another shot at silverware, their second in just five months. The Buccaneers have already tasted glory this season, lifting the MTN8 with that confident 3-0 dismissal of Stellenbosch in September, only weeks after Abdeslam Ouaddou arrived from Gallants, where he notably saved them from relegation in just 12 matches.
Their path back to a final has been tight but controlled. A late thunderbolt from Mbekezeli Mbokazi settled the opener against Siwelele at Orlando Stadium, before a hard-fought 2-1 victory over Magesi secured a semifinal berth. At Moses Mabhida, Pirates edged Richards Bay 1-0 thanks to Tshepang Moremi’s decisive strike.
Gallants, meanwhile, have taken a more dramatic road. They squeezed past Golden Arrows on penalties after a 2-2 draw to reach their second cup final in three years — their last ending in a 2-1 extra-time heartbreak against Mamelodi Sundowns in the 2022 Nedbank Cup. Along the way this season, they’ve claimed major scalps, dumping out Sundowns and Stellenbosch.
They also walk into the final holding a psychological edge: a 2-1 league win at Orlando Stadium earlier this campaign, where Patrick Maswanganyi scored first before Daniel Msendami and Jaisen Clifford turned it around.
Still, history favours the Soweto giants. Of the 11 meetings between the sides, Pirates have six wins, Gallants three, and two draws. Last season’s 8-1 hammering remains the Sea Robbers’ biggest victory in history.
