Soccer
Marumo Gallants advance, Pirates out of Carling Knockout Cup─── MORGAN PIEK 09:12 Sun, 20 Oct 2024
The 2024 Carling Knockout Cup kicked off on Friday evening and there were some very big results during the Last 16 matches, with games still to be played on Sunday.
The Premier Soccer League team from Bloemfontein, Marumo Gallants, are through to the quarter-finals, while the Soweto giants, Orlando Pirates are out.
On Friday night, the defending champions, Stellenbosch FC, kept their title defence on track by beating AmaZulu. The losing MTN8 finalists, Stellies, knocked AmaZulu out with a 2-1 win after extra time at the King Goodwill Zwelithini Stadium in Durban.
In the second match of the cup competition, Marumo Gallants, secured their spot in the quarter-finals with a 3-2 win against their traditional rivals, Polokwane City, at the Old Peter Mokaba Stadium in Polokwane.
Polokwane opened the scoring early through a Hlayisi Chauke goal. The joy was short-lived as Siyabulela Shai equalised for the team from Bloemfontein. Polokwane regained the lead with a Puleng Marema penalty.
Monde Mphambaniso levelled matters again for Marumo before the captain Edgar Manaka scored the winner for the visitors against his former team. This all happened in the first half and the score remained unchanged for the rest of the game.
Magesi FC vs. Orlando Pirates. Photo: X
At the same time over at the Orlando Stadium in Soweto, drama unfolded as the former Bloemfontein Celtic coach, Clinton Larsen’s Magesi FC, stunned the Buccaneers. Larsen’s team beat the club for he represented as a player with a 3-2 win to see the Sea Robbers crashing out.
This was no doubt the biggest shock of the round and will make the quarter-finals very interesting indeed.
At the Lucas Moripe Stadium in Atteridgeville, the seven-time defending PSL champions Mamelodi Sundowns fired a massive warning shot with a 5-0 drubbing of Golden Arrows, while at the Athlone Stadium in Cape Town, Cape Town City thumped John Maduka’s Royal AM 3-0.
SuperSport United vs. Kaizer Chiefs. Photo: X
In another big result in the Last 16, Kaizer Chiefs hammered Gavin Hunt’s SuperSport United with a 4-0 victory.
On Sunday at 15:00, the Rockets, TS Galaxy will face Chippa United at the Mbombela Stadium. At 17:30, Richards Bay will be up against Lehlohonolo Seema’s Sekhukhune United at the King Goodwill Zwelithini Stadium.
The draw for the quarter-final of the Carling Knockout Cup will be conducted on Sunday evening after the Last 16 matches.
OFM Sport/Morgan Piek dg
