Soweto derby adds season-end spice

Just as the season appeared to be petering out to a low-key finish after Mamelodi Sundowns wrapped up the league title in record time, the tightly contested three-horse race for the runners-up spot and now a spicy draw for the semifinals of the Nedbank Cup has provided a much-needed injection of interest for the closing stages of the campaign.  

After the weekend’s Nedbank quarterfinals that saw Stellenbosch FC eliminating holders Sundowns while Kaizer Chiefs and Orlando Pirates were made to sweat before eventually advancing after extra time and a penalty shoot-out, the draw for the semifinals has delivered the bonus of an extra Soweto derby on May 6.  

In the other semifinal, Stellies will meet Sekhukhune United, who beat struggling Chippa United 2-1 at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium on Sunday. It will be virgin territory for both teams who have reached the last four of the competition for the first time.

The Buccaneers were given a huge fright when they were taken to penalties by third-tier Dondol Stars, who won the hearts of many with their gutsy performance against one of the powerhouses of SA football.  

After finishing level at the end of 90 minutes and then extra time, Pirates prevailed 5-4 in the tiebreaker to advance to the semifinals for the first time since 2017 when they went all the way to the final where Kjell Jonevret’s side were thumped 4-1 by SuperSport United.  

Chiefs were also made to fight before overturning a 1-0 deficit to emerge victorious in extra-time courtesy of Yusuf Maart’s penalty that gave them a 2-1 victory. Lesego Manganyi opened the scoring for Royal AM midway through the first half but former Pirates defender Thabo Matlaba levelled matters shortly afterwards with an own-goal. That’s how it remained until Maart’s decisive penalty booked Amakhosi’s spot in the last four. 

The draw, which was made immediately after Chiefs’ victory in Chatsworth, set up a plum semifinal between the country’s two most popular clubs. It will be the first meeting in the Nedbank Cup between the Soweto giants since Pirates beat their arch-rivals 2-0 in the second round on March 5 2016 courtesy of a late brace by Tendai Ndoro.   

Stellenbosch provided the shock of the weekend when they came from a goal down to beat Sundowns at a bouncing Athlone Stadium on Saturday evening.  

The defending champions, who had drawn their previous three league games, suffered their first defeat since Rhulani Mokwena took over as head coach just two days after the 3-0 loss to Pirates in the MTN8 on October 22. 

It was Mokoena’s first reverse in the 25 games he had been in charge thus far and he will have to pick up his charges ahead of Saturday’s Caf Champions League semifinal first leg away to Algeria’s CR Belouizdad.  

Stellenbosch, who had previously only progressed as far as the last 16 in 2018 when, as a second-tier side, they were beaten by Kaizer Chiefs, will fancy their chances against Sekhukhune United particularly since the draw handed them home advantage.  

In-form striker Iqraam Rayners, who has already netted four goals in the previous two rounds, added two more to his tally as Steve Barker’s side overturned a 1-0 deficit to shock the champions, who have won only one of their past six games.  

With Sundowns out of the reckoning, each of the four teams still alive in the Nedbank will fancy their chances of being crowned champions when the PSL season ends on May 27.