Pirates vs Sundowns dubbed biggest fixture in PSL

10.10.26 12:00 MTN 8 Cup South Africa

Orlando Pirates

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Mamelodi Sundowns FC

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Former Mamelodi Sundowns midfielder Brent Carelse says the fixture between Orlando Pirates and the Brazilians has developed into the biggest match in the Premier Soccer League (PSL).

The two heavyweights are set to lock horns in the humdinger MTN8 final at the famed Moses Mabhida Stadium on Saturday, in what will be a sold-out affair for the first domestic cup final of the season.

Pirates head into the encounter gunning for an unprecedented fifth top eight crown, while Sundowns are searching for their first domestic cup title since the 2021/22 campaign.

Notably, the Tshwane giants have previously succumbed to defeat at the hands of the Sea Robbers in the MTN8 final in the 2023/24 season, before suffering the same fate in the semi-final last term.

With the highly-anticipated match on the horizon, Carelse believes the intense rivalry will be beneficial for the decider, and backed Miguel Cardoso's men to get one over Abdeslam Ouaddou's troops.

“I think that rivalry in the cup is really good, but I think this time around because it's the final it's a little bit better. I think in the previous seasons they were always knocked out in the semi-final, especially by Pirates,” he told Foot Africa.

"This time around I think they will want to obviously learn from the past and try and get over this hurdle of winning a domestic up, and I think they have it in them to do that.

The two-time South African champion with the now-defunct SuperSport United went on to explain why he's of the belief that the battle between Pirates and Sundowns is currently the biggest game in South Africa.

“I think a lot of supporters or football people will agree with me that in the last three, four years this rivalry has grown. It has become the biggest game in the country in terms of quality and the level of performance,” Carelse added.

"Most of the players that play for Sundowns and Pirates are in the national team. So, we know the quality of the players, we know the quality of the coaches. So, definitely, for me it's going to be one of the biggest matches of the season.

"We are excited as football fans because it's the first cup [of the season] and we want to see who's going to take that cup and take that momentum going forward because we know if you win the MTN8 you sort of give yourself a boost.

"It gives you a boost not just as players but as a club to go on and try to win everything else. It's your award for all the work you've done in pre-season and what you've done in the transfer market.

Whether Pirates will retain their trophy or Sundowns will snap their domestic cup hoodoo remains to be seen, with both teams on a high thanks to their incredible runs before the FIFA international break.

Hlayisani Magoro

Editorfr, en

Football journalist from South Africa covering African football news, exclusive stories and key events while sharing insights with passionate fans of the game.

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