Carling Knockout Preview: Magesi

Orlando Pirates turn their attention back to another cup competition as they prepare to host Magesi at Orlando Stadium, with the two sides locking horns in Tuesday night’s Carling Knockout quarter-final.

It’s a chance to progress further in the one tournament that has been a missing feather in the home side’s cap over the past few years. They face a significant hurdle in the form of the reigning champions, whose giant-killing feats have included the Buccaneers’ scalp in this very competition.

A rare midweek cup encounter awaits, with a spot in the final four up for grabs ahead of another crucial clash in Soweto.

The Opposition

On the road in the Carling Knockout for the second game running, Magesi kept their title defence alive with a dramatic 3-2 victory away to AmaZulu in the opening round. It was a welcome result for a side that has stuttered along in the Premiership with just nine points earned and in 10 league matches this season.

The win over the KwaZulu-Natal outfit was only the second in all competitions for Dikwena tša Meetse, and they have gone on to claim a third at home to TS Galaxy straight away, signalling a turnaround in fortunes in what began as a tough campaign consisting of five defeats. Four of these losses have come in consecutive away fixtures, where they had netted just twice and conceded eight goals prior to their three-goal haul against AmaZulu.

While boasting an overall record that’s far from ideal since the start of the 2025/26 campaign, Magesi’s recent results do harbour some promise as they go into their crucial clash against Pirates with three wins earned in their last five matches.

They will have a full complement of players to call upon for the fixture, with veteran goalkeeper Elvis Chipezeze among those likely to feature after an injury scare against Galaxy.

Bucs Team News

While their next opponents have had a full 10 days between fixtures, Pirates will head into Tuesday’s game having had a few days’ rest following a bruising cup encounter over the weekend. They emerged on the winning side – at least on the scoreboard – netting three unanswered goals in their CAF Champions League clash against the Democratic Republic of Congo’s Saint-Éloi Lupopo, but that was not enough as they were eliminated in a penalty shootout following a 3-3 aggregate stalemate.

All their focus now lies in domestic football, where they remain one of the form sides with an exceptional run of 10 matches without a defeat. These include their Round of 16 victory over Siwelele, where defender Mbekezeli Mbokazi’s late strike handed them a deserved win after dominating much of the encounter.

Assured performances on home soil have been a key feature of the Buccaneers’ recent success, and they’ll be eyeing an eighth straight win in front of their faithful horde of fans when they host Magesi.

There are no fresh injury concerns despite a highly physical clash on Saturday, while the likes of Selaelo Rasebotja and Thabiso Sesane continue to work their way back to full fitness after their injury spells.

Head-to-Head

With Pirates’ visitors relatively new to top-level football, the history between the two sides is rather short but with some memorable encounters. Their very first clash produced one of the Carling Knockout’s biggest upsets when Magesi edged a five-goal thriller in Soweto to eliminate the Buccaneers in the first round.

The Soweto Giants have registered a tight victory of their own against the Limpopo outfit, claiming three league points via a 1-0 win away from home last December. They were reduced to a single point in their next Premiership encounter when Patrick Maswanganyi’s seventh-minute strike was cancelled out by Edmore Chirambadare in a game played at Orlando Stadium.

Yet to beat Magesi at home in two previous attempts, Pirates will be eager to make the most of their home ground advantage this time around in a game that holds high stakes.

TV Coverage and Ticket Info

The fixture kicks off at 19:00 with live coverage on SuperSport PSL. Orlando Pirates will provide live updates across the club’s social media channels.

Tickets to attend the match are available for purchase on OpenTickets.

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