Marumo Gallants are looking for a second straight victory against Orlando Pirates when the two teams face off in the Nedbank Cup semi-final at the Orlando Stadium on Sunday.
Gallants beat Pirates 2-0 when the two teams last met on March 1 and will be looking to hand Jose Riveiro’s team a second defeat in one-and-half months to advance to the final as they look to win the Nedbank Cup for the second time in their history since clinching it in 2021.
Their run to the semi-final has been marked with a remarkable defensive display where they made sure they did not concede in the last three rounds of the competition, something that Pirates will have in mind heading to Sunday’s match.
Gallants’ grit worked in their favour
On their road to the semi-finals, Gallants have played two lower league sides and started with a 1-0 victory against Pretoria Callies in the Round of 32.
It was not a straightforward win, however, as they were made to wait until time added on when substitute Monde Mphambaniso popped up with a goal with the last kick of the game, having played the whole of the second half with 10 men following Siyabulela Shai’s 48th minute red card.
Gallants would meet AmaZulu in the Round of 16, where they did their business early. An 18th minute goal from Junior Zindoga was enough to fend off Usuthu as they defended resolutely to walk away with a win and the ticket to the semi-final.
Can Pirates breach Bahlabane Ba Ntwa?
In the last eight, Gallants were paired with lower league opposition in the form of Durban City, who had been on a fairytale run and they were made to work even harder.
The game ended goalless in both 90 minutes and extra time, necessitating post-match shootouts, where Gallants won 4-0 for a place in the semi-final.
Having not conceded a goal so far, Pirates have their work cut out to breach the Gallants defence while Bahlabane Ba Ntwa will feel that they have a chance if they avoid conceding yet again.
