All roads lead to the Mbombela Stadium this weekend for the titanic meeting between Mamelodi Sundowns and Orlando Pirates in the final of the Nedbank Cup.

Mamelodi Sundowns

Having witnessed their invincibility status dashed by Cape Town City in Loftus last week, the Brazilians head to the big occasion in Mpumalanga looking for redemption after seeing their 53-game undefeated streak come to an end. Even though Eric Tinkler’s men delivered a hammer blow, Sundowns are still on course to complete a historic treble campaign, having already clinched the DStv Premiership title and African Football League (AFL) this season. Saturday’s clash presents an opening for Downs to avenge their penalty shootout defeat to the Buccaneers in the MTN8 finale in October, which was then followed by a heated 1-1 draw in February.

The unexpected loss to City exposed Sundowns’ faltering form of late. They held off a spirited Stellenbosch fightback to earn a tight 2-1 win in the semifinals and needed a heroic penalty shootout performance from Ronwen Williams to survive against neighbors University of Pretoria in the last eight. Their league form had also taken a nosedive as they scored twice in just two of their last six fixtures. The Ke Yona final gives Rulani Mokwena’s charges an extended opportunity to conquer in Mbombela after their last visit to TS Galaxy saw them scrap for a single point in a 1-1 stalemate two weeks ago.

Orlando Pirates

The defending champions will head to this fixture looking to extend their recent dominance over Sundowns in cup competitions. The Sea Robbers knocked out the Brazilians in the semifinals of the MTN8 during the 2022-23 campaign before repeating the trick in the finale this season. Those two impressive results have helped establish the Buccaneers as the ultimate cup kings in recent memory, having won three domestic trophies under Jose Riveiro’s tenure. Saturday’s 1-1 draw against SuperSport United cemented Pirates’ second-place spot in the DStv Premiership, automatically qualifying them for next season’s CAF Champions League preliminary stage.

The Buccaneers have enjoyed an impressive Ke Yona campaign again this year, netting a competition record of 17 goals in goal-laden fixtures against Crystal Lake, Hungry Lions, AmaZulu, and Chippa United en route to the final. PSL Golden Boot winner Tshegofatso Mabasa netted a brace in the 6-0 win over Crystal Lake in the last-32 clash held in Mbombela and is the man carrying Bucs’ hopes of defending their crown and ultimately ending Downs’ treble quest.

I’m expecting this match to be a close affair as both sides possess quality in all departments. Pirates have defeated Sundowns in three straight cup appearances but Rulani’s side will fight for their own treble aspirations. I’m backing Sundowns.

Prediction: Mamelodi Sundowns Straight Win @ 1.89

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