PIC: Mamelodi Sundowns players

Mamelodi Sundowns and Orlando Pirates were kept apart in the Nedbank Cup semifinals and could set up a repeat of this season’s MTN8 final that The Buccaneers won on penalties.

But both have difficult last-4 matches to contend with and it is by no means a foregone conclusion they will reach the decider. Here is a guide to the semifinal ties.

STELLENBOSCH FC VS MAMELODI SUNDOWNS

A clash between the top two teams in the DStv Premiership table and a repeat of the 2023 Nedbank Cup quarterfinal where Stellenbosch came from behind to win 2-1 as Iqraam Rayners twice punished Sundowns.

Stellenbosch are a club on the rise, backed by sensible management, an excellent youth academy, superb off-field facilities and an experienced coach in Steve Barker, which reached the 2009 Nedbank Cup final with second-tier University of Pretoria, but lost 1-0 to Moroka Swallows.

He has now guided Stellies to their fourth cup semifinal in a row – they lost on penalties to Sekhukhune United in the Nedbank Cup last-4 last season following a 0-0 draw and then on away goals to Pirates in the MTN8 earlier this campaign.
They defeated Richards Bay 3-0 in the Carling Knockout as they went on to lift that trophy, and now face the daunting prospect of Sundowns.   

Currently on a run of 21 games unbeaten, the last team to defeat them was Sundowns in a league game on September 27, more than six months ago. Stellies took an early lead in that game through Devin Titus but could not contain their hosts.
The teams have met on 11 previous occasions and Sundowns have held sway with seven wins and two draws to go with a pair of victories for Stellenbosch.
But the last five clashes since May 2022 have resulted in two wins each and a draw, so things have been much tighter in recent times. Sundowns have not won any of their last three visits to Stellies (D2 L1) since victory in March 2021.  
Sundowns have played in eight previous Nedbank Cup semifinals since 2008 and won five of them, suffering defeats to AmaZulu (2010), Maritzburg United (2018) and TTM (2021). Two of those losses were via penalties, with only Maritzburg (3-1) winning outright.

Sundowns have five games scheduled between now and the Nedbank Cup semifinals, including a home and away tie with Esperance in the CAF Champions League semifinals, while Stellenbosch have four.

CHIPPA UNITED VS ORLANDO PIRATES

Chippa United will hope to repeat their appearance in the 2021 Nedbank Cup final but must get past the defending champions Pirates first, and their coach with a near impeccable knockout record.
Chippa will have homeground advantage in the Eastern Cape, having lost just once (W5 D3) in their last nine games on their own patch as the team finds their form under co-coaches Thabo September and Kwanele Kopo. 
The last four meetings with Pirates have seen a win each and two draws, though Chippa’s last home success against The Buccaneers was all the way back in 2016.

In all the teams have met on 22 previous occasions, with Pirates winning 15 to go with four victories for Chippa and three draws. At Chippa, Pirates have won seven from 11, with two wins for the home side and two draws.

This is Chippa’s fourth Nedbank Cup semifinal since 2017, making them one of the most consistent teams in the competition over the last seven years. They lost two of the previous three though, making the final in 2021 when they went down 1-0 to TTM (Marumo Gallants).

They faced third-tier opponents in the first two rounds this season, narrowly beating NC Professionals and FC Ravens 2-1 on each occasion, before a 2-0 win at TS Galaxy in the quarterfinals.
Former Pirates striker Bienvenu Eva Nga has scored two goals in the Nedbank Cup campaign and would dearly love another against the team where he may feel he was not given sufficient opportunity.
Pirates will play a sixth Nedbank Cup semifinal since 2008 and ominously for Chippa, have won their previous five.

Their Spanish coach Jose Riveiro has not lost in eight Nedbank Cup games (and the club in 10), and has a single outright defeat in 18 knockout fixtures in South African football – losing the second leg of this season’s MTN8 semifinal to Stellenbosch, but still advancing in the tie.
He knows how to set his team up to win in cup competitions and would love nothing more than adding a second successive Nedbank Cup title to his back-to-back MTN8 wins.