Orlando Pirates will lock horns with Marumo Gallants in their much-awaited Carling Knockout Cup final showdown without a key midfielder on Saturday, 6 December, at the New Peter Mokaba Stadium in Polokwane.
The Carling Knockout final sold out affair between the Soweto giants and Bahlabane ba Ntwa will kick off at 18:00 with both sides vying for the coveted title.
Pirates go into the game as favourites to add another piece of silverware to their trophy cabinet. The Buccaneers have already won the MTN8 title in the ongoing campaign, demonstrating the capabilities of knowing what it takes to win cup finals.
Meanwhile, Gallants under the tutelage of a 28-year-old mentor, Alexandre Lafitte, are determined to cause an upset for the Sea Robbers and prove a point that they didn’t reach the finals by fluke.
THE ORLANDO PIRATES PLAYER SET TO BE ON THE SIDELINES FOR THE CARLING KNOCKOUT CUP FINAL
The Betway Premiership log leaders, Pirates, will go head-to-head with the Bloemfontein-based outfit without the services of attacking midfielder Patrick Maswanganyi due to suspension.
Maswanganyi received a fourth yellow card during Pirates’ last league encounter against Durban City FC, which they won with a 2-0 scoreline. This tie took place on 29 November 2025, at Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban.
This will be the second occasion that Maswanganyi misses a cup final in the 2025/26 season after being sidelined from the MTN8 final against Stellenbosch FC because of an injury.
So far, the 28-year-old has featured in 14 matches across all competitions for the ‘Happy People’, scoring four goals and providing two assists, proving his importance to the Abdeslam Ouaddou-coached side.
Maswanganyi is the only player suspended for the Carling Knockout Cup final between Pirates and Gallants at the weekend.
In addition, despite his satisfying displays in the current season with Pirates, Maswanganyi was left out of Hugo Broos’ final 25-man Bafana Bafana squad.
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