Marumo Gallants will still have vivid memories of their last clash with Orlando Pirates. And that’s why they’ll arrive in Orlando, Soweto, high on confidence.
Gallants will visit Pirates at Orlando Stadium tomorrow (3pm) on the back of their 2-0 win over the hosts in the Betway Premiership last month.
That win was like gold for Gallants as it revived their chances of avoiding relegation under new coach Abdeslam Ouaddou who was sitting for his very first game.
But it could prove to be catastrophic for Pirates as it could be the difference between them and winning the league title this season.
A lot happened in that game as Pirates’ coach Jose Rivieiro watched from the stands, serving a one-match suspension due to four yellow cards.
So heading into the ‘Mecca of South African Football’ - Orlando Stadium - it will be a different script and different cast, altogether.
Riveiro will be back on the dugout, and eyeing his third successive final in the competition - and sixth in all competitions - before he takes his final bow as Pirates’ coach.
The Spaniard is leaving at the end of the season, and one of his targets is to leave the jersey better than how he found it.
So, that’s why he wants to win an unprecedented three-peat Nedbank Cup - something that has not only been done at the club, but in SA football as well.
Riveiro will head into this game high on confidence as his biggest victory in the land came when they hammered Gallants 8-1 in the league on Christmas Eve late last year.
Gallants, though, will want to be a party-pooper in Riveiro’s last dance at Pirates, ensuring that they do not reach another Nedbank Cup final.
Bahlabane Ba Ntwa will not only be on a high based on the fact that they are underdogs and have nothing to lose, but they’ve made strides in the Nedbank Cup before.
They won the trophy as Tshakuma Tsha Madzivhandila (TTM) in 2021 before losing the final as Gallants to Mamelodi Sundowns a year later.
And of course, they are probably still reminiscing about their 2-0 win over Pirates at home in the league. That’s why they’ll arrive in Orlando eager to burst the host’s bubble.