By Bhekizenzo Zonele
South African football’s traditional big three – Kaizer Chiefs, Orlando Pirates and Mamelodi Sundowns – have advanced to the Carling Knockout Cup semi-finals alongside Stellenbosch FC following a series of closely contested quarter-final matches.
The semi-finals will pit Chiefs against Sundowns in a blockbuster encounter in Pretoria, while defending champions Pirates will travel to Stellenbosch as they seek to retain their title.
Chiefs became the last of the big three to qualify after coming from behind to defeat Siwelele FC 2-1 at the Peter Mokaba Stadium in Polokwane on Sunday.
Siwelele took an early lead through Siyabonga Ndebele in the 12th minute before Wandile Duba equalised from the penalty spot in first-half stoppage time.
Asanele Velebayi completed the comeback with an 84th-minute winner, securing Chiefs’ place in the last four and setting up a meeting with Sundowns.
The victory followed Chiefs’ convincing 3-0 win over TS Galaxy in the previous round, when Duba scored a hat-trick. His penalty against Siwelele took his tally to four goals, making him the competition’s leading scorer.
Chiefs head coach Fernando da Cruz said the team welcomed the opportunity to test itself against stronger opposition in the semi-finals.
“We knew we wanted to qualify for the semi-finals, we knew if we qualify, we will play a big game in the semifinals. We need these types of games because we need to grow.”
Meanwhile, defending champions Pirates continued their impressive cup form with a narrow 1-0 victory over Sekhukhune United at Orlando Amstel Arena in Soweto on Saturday.
Youngster Mpho Padime scored the only goal in the first half, extending the Buccaneers’ winning streak against Sekhukhune to four consecutive matches across competitions this season.
Pirates head coach Abdeslam Ouaddou acknowledged the difficulties of facing the same opposition repeatedly, saying Sekhukhune had arrived with a clear tactical plan.
“We expected a very tough game…. They came with a plan and they were very organised”.
Sundowns booked their semi-final place earlier in the week with a 1-0 victory over Golden Arrows at Loftus Versfeld Stadium in Pretoria on Tuesday.
Iqraam Rayners scored the decisive second-half goal to send the Brazilians through.
The result followed another narrow 1-0 victory over Marumo Gallants in the previous round, when Siyanda Ndlovu scored the winner.
Sundowns have now recorded consecutive clean sheets in the competition, demonstrating their defensive strength despite scoring just once in each of their two knockout matches.
Their ability to grind out victories could prove important against a Chiefs side that has shown resilience in coming from behind to reach the semi-finals.
Stellenbosch completed the last-four line-up with a dramatic 2-1 victory over AmaZulu at Danie Craven Stadium on Sunday.
Sinoxolo Kwayiba scored a stoppage-time penalty in the 97th minute to secure the victory, ending AmaZulu’s six-match winning streak and keeping Stellenbosch’s hopes of winning the competition alive.
The result sets up a semi-final clash against Pirates, who will be seeking to maintain their unbeaten record against Sekhukhune this season and continue their defence of the Carling Knockout title.
