Carling Knockout Preview: Richards Bay

Orlando Pirates will be looking to take another step towards cup glory when they visit Richards Bay in the first Carling Knockout semifinal at Moses Mabhida Stadium on Saturday.

Remaining in Durban for the second of two crucial fixtures played this week, the Soweto Giants find themselves within touching distance of a second cup title in the 2025/26 season. They will first have to navigate a potential stumbling block in the form of the Natal Rich Boyz, who will fancy their chances in their own backyard.

With nothing guaranteed in a competition where some of the pre-season favourites have already fallen out of the race, it promises to be another intriguing contest between two sides who have fixed their eyes firmly on the big prize.

The Opposition

It’s a chance to step into uncharted territory for Richards Bay, who are yet to contest a major cup final in their short history as a top flight outfit. They went as far as the semis in their two previous attempts, losing to the eventual champions on each occasion.

Their current run in the tournament saw them turn in a dominant 4-1 win over Chippa United in the first round before edging past provincial rivals Durban City on penalties to book their spot in the last four.

Those results plus league stalemates away from home in their next two assignments leading up to their semifinal clash against the Buccaneers’ have cast the Natal Rich Boyz as a tough nut to crack, as they maintain an unbeaten run in three matches across competitions.

Their last defeat happened to be on home turf, where they conceded in the second half to go down to Premiership newcomers Orbit College midway through October.

Despite the recent setback, the KwaZulu-Natal outfit has maintained a commendable record as the home team, producing four wins, a stalemate and only two defeats in seven outings this season.

With Pirates next up on their radar, influential goalkeeper Salim Magoola is unavailable for the match with Kenyan international Ian Otieno likely to reprise his role between the sticks as he’s done across competitions in recent weeks.

Bucs Team News

Pirates meanwhile have a chance to book their first League Cup final since 2018, when they eventually faltered at the last hurdle. It’s an opportunity to overcome some recent disappointments in the tournament for a side that’s established itself as a dominant force in South African cup football, having not hoisted this particular piece of silverware aloft since prevailing in the 2011/12 season en route to completing their famous double treble.

The 2025/26 edition of the Carling Knockout featured a couple of gritty performances, as they left it until late in the contest to edge past first-round opponents Siwelele through a stunning 87th minute strike from defender Mbekezeli Mbokazi. They then produced another crucial late goal to extend their lead to two in their quarter-final clash against 2024/25 champions Magesi, who went on to net what turned out to be a late consolation goal to spare themselves some blushes as their title defence came to an end.

That ability to get themselves over the line in difficult situations has been a key feature of the Buccaneers’ current campaign, and they go into their clash against the Rich Boyz on the back of four wins and a draw in their last four games in all competitions. These include a couple of challenging fixtures on the road, where they came from a goal behind to force a draw away to Mamelodi Sundowns before brushing aside the challenge of a determined Lamontville Golden Arrows to claim a 3-1 in midweek.

The clash in Durban did not come without much incident, as Sihle Nduli had to be withdrawn just before the halfway mark. The injury sustained by the midfielder makes him a doubt for the upcoming clash at Moses Mabhida.

Head-to-Head

Pirates will be visiting Richards Bay for a Carling Knockout clash for the second time in the space of three seasons. They suffered a shock exit in their previous encounter, which also took place in Durban, where the game finished scoreless after 120 minutes before the hosts held their nerve in a penalty shootout to send the Soweto Giants packing in the 2024/25 quarter-finals.

In their only other cup encounter, the Buccaneers managed to prevail as they recorded a straightforward 3-1 win to advance past the second round of the Nedbank Cup.

While evenly poised in cup football, they have mostly crossed paths in the league where Pirates boast a clear advantage. Their six encounters in the Premiership include three Bucs victories and two stalemates, with only one result going the way of the Natal Rich Boyz.

TV Coverage and Ticket Info

Kick-off on Saturday is at 15:00 with the match broadcast live on SuperSport PSL and SABC 1. You can also follow the action as it happens by keeping an eye on live updates posted across Orlando Pirates’ social media platforms.

Tickets to attend the match are available for purchase on OpenTickets and selected retail outlets nationwide.

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