The outcome of the most iconic fixture on the South African football calendar will determine the destination of the Nedbank Cup title this year, with Orlando Pirates and Kaizer Chiefs set to battle it out for the coveted trophy.
Both Soweto Giants safely navigated their respective semifinals on Sunday to set up a Soweto Derby final that will make for a fitting showstopper for domestic cup football in the 2024/25 season. The Buccaneers have been billed as the away team in the high-stakes fixture that will take place at Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban on Saturday, 10 May.
They were first to secure their spot in the final with a 1-0 win over Marumo Gallants in their semifinal played at Orlando Stadium on Sunday afternoon, with midfielder Kabelo Dlamini providing the winner. Pirates had to wait a couple of hours to discover their opponents for the final as their Soweto rivals travelled to Tshwane for a clash against last season’s runners-up Mamelodi Sundowns in the second semifinal at Loftus Versfeld.
It was Amakhosi who pulled through in Tshwane, coming from a goal down to claim a dramatic 2-1 victory and book their spot in the final for the first time since the 2018/19 season. They are now poised for a dream Nedbank Cup final against the Buccaneers, having last contested one in 2006.
It’s a full circle moment in South Africa’s national cup, whose very first edition culminated in a final between the two sides back in 1971. Chiefs were victorious on that occasion, claiming the first of two consecutive titles before Pirates hit back with a triumph of their own in the 1975 final to complete a hat-trick of titles having lifted the cup in 1973 and 1974.
It’s an omen that bodes well for Jose Riveiro’s men, who are looking to become the first team to win three straight titles since that iconic team of the ‘70s. They defeated Sekhukhune United 2-1 at Loftus Versfeld to claim the trophy in 2023 and produced a similar scoreline against Sundowns to be crowned 2024 champions in Mbombela.
With a final against their biggest rivals in their sights, they are looking for a title that will not only etch their names in history, but also affirm their status as the country’s cup kings having achieved a similar feat in the MTN8 earlier in the season.
