MTN8 action heats up with Pirates-Sundowns, Stellies-Sekhukhune showdowns in semis

The first leg of the MTN8 semi-finals promises high-stakes football this weekend, as Orlando Pirates host Mamelodi Sundowns at Orlando Stadium on Saturday, with kick-off at 3 pm and Stellenbosch facing Sekhukhune United at the Danie Craven Stadium in the other semi-final at 6pm.

Both semi-finals are set to further test the early-season form of all four teams as they chase a spot in the MTN8 final.

Pirates aiming to turn things around

Orlando Pirates, under new coach Abdeslam Ouaddou, are looking to stop a recent run of poor results. In his first match in charge of the new season, Ouaddou led Pirates to a 2-0 win over Polokwane City in the MTN8 quarter-final just under two weeks ago.

However, since then, the team has struggled in the Betway Premiership, losing to Sekhukhune United 1-0 on August 9 and Marumo Gallants 2-1 earlier this week.

“I think we have so many players and we decided this lineup [against Gallants], because we have many games as well. When you make such a decision, you have to understand that we will be playing in the MTN8 against a very strong team [Mamelodi Sundowns],” Ouaddou said, referring to the upcoming semi-final.

As expected, the two recent losses have sparked criticism, with some questioning Ouaddou’s future at the club. But the Pirates coach urged patience from his critics.

“When you come into such a big institution who are playing for titles and cup competitions, of course, there is a lot of expectation.”

He added, “You can understand the fans’ [frustration], it is normal, and we understand them. When a club loses two games in a row like that, it is normal that the fans are not happy, and we [technical team] are not happy as well to lose.”

He said the initial selection hiccups will smooth out as the season progresses.

“We have to make some choices like we did. If we had won, the choice might have been good, but now that we’ve lost, people will naturally say it wasn’t. But it’s football, it’s like that. 

“We make some choices and that’s it.”

Sundowns preparing for a strong start

As for their opponents, Mamelodi Sundowns coach Miguel Cardoso has stressed the importance of gaining early momentum in early-season competitions as his team prepares to face the Buccaneers.

"This MTN8 Cup brings exactly high-level matches in the moment that the teams are still developing and growing and installing themselves on the setting out for the season ahead," Cardoso said.

He added: “It's important to hit the ground running and arrive on those kinds of matches in the best condition and best tactical adaptation as possible.”

Cardoso highlighted the planning required for such matches, noting the challenge posed by facing a team like Pirates: the semi-final carries both tactical significance and weight because of the clubs’ rivalry, seeing as Pirates pushed the Brazilians last year in the race to the League title.

Stellenbosch and Sekhukhune complete the semi-final line-up

Meanwhile, in Cape Town, Stellenbosch will host Sekhukhune United at the Danie Craven Stadium, after their win over Amazulu in the quarter-final.

Stellenbosch have seemingly not found their feet as yet, and may be short on confidence and quality, after they began their Premiership campaign with a 2-0 loss to Kaizer Chiefs, followed by a 1-1 draw with Magesi FC.

Sekhukhune, meanwhile, have been in strong form, beating TS Galaxy twice – once in the MTN8 quarter-finals and again in the Premiership – with a 1-0 victory over Orlando Pirates between those matches.

The concern, though, is that Eric Tinkler has only beaten Stellenbosch twice out of 11 attempts and one of those wins came on penalties. Both came in February 2020, when he was head coach of Maritzburg United.

Stellies hold the upper hand as far as results are concerned. They beat Sekhukhune 2-1 in March, shortly after Tinkler's arrival, and subsequently beat them to third place in the Premiership and CAF Confederation Cup qualification.

So with all this going on, and excitement on the rise, it’s certain that all four teams face high-stakes clashes this weekend, with experience, form, and tactical decisions set to play a decisive role as they look to get one step closer to the MTN8 final.