Pirates Draw Richards Bay in Carling Knockout Semis

Orlando Pirates are set to travel to KwaZulu-Natal for the next round of the Carling Knockout, having been pitted against Richards Bay in the semifinal draw held on Wednesday night.

Only four teams remain in the competition with the Buccaneers among those that fought to survive another day after eliminating defending champions Magesi in their quarter-final clash played at Orlando Stadium on Tuesday. They will take to the road for the first time in this year’s competition, facing the Richards Bay outfit that thumped provincial rivals Durban City 3-1 in their Last Eight clash played over the weekend.

The two sides are well-acquainted with each other in knockout football, having contested the second round of the 2023/24 edition of the Carling Knockout. On that occasion, a tight encounter played in Durban was decided on penalties with the KwaZulu-Natal outfit eventually progressing after edging the shootout.

The Buccaneers were able to exact revenge after that particular upset with a convincing 3-1 win in the Nedbank Cup Round of 16 in January 2025 with Patrick Maswanganyi finding the net twice before Tshegofatso Mabasa netted the third.

Act Three of their budding cup rivalry now awaits in what’s perhaps their most high-stakes encounter to date with the Buccaneers within touching distance of their second trophy in the ongoing season. The Natal Rich Boyz are meanwhile chasing their first major piece of silverware, having stumbled in the semis on their last two attempts at claiming South Africa’s League Cup.

Semifinal dates, venues, and kick-off times will be confirmed by the League at a later date.

Click here to read article