Knockout final to be hosted at Mbombela

So close but yet so far. This is how many soccer-loving people of Mpumalanga felt after the Premier Soccer League champions, Kaizer Chiefs denied the province a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to witness a soccer spectacle on home soil.

Had the Phefeni glamour boys won their semi-final encounter against Platinum Stars on Saturday, Mpumalanga would have stood a chance to host two of the country’s oldest, biggest and most successful teams, Chiefs and Orlando Pirates an opportunity not likely to come by any time soon.

All is not lost, however, since one of Africa’s biggest teams of all times, Orlando Pirates is headed to town to take on the rapidly growing Rustenburg-based side, Platinum Stars in the Telkom Knockout

Cup final next week Saturday December 7, at the Mbombela Stadium.

Fatigued as they are, after a lengthy and tiresome run in the African Championship competition where they went as far as reaching the finals of this continental soccer masterpiece, the Buccaneers – as they are popularly known – stand a good chance of lifting the Telkom Cup.

The Dikwena, on the other hand, are not to be taken lightly as they have timeously embarrassed some of the PSL giants such as Chiefs, Mamelodi Sundowns and Pirates recently during the MTN 8 Cup.

Having lifted this very same Cup in 2006, and recently bagged the MTN 8 Cup, Stars will certainly come to Mbombela looking to finish this year with a double.

Having failed to add that second star and losing to Platinum Stars in the MTN 8 Cup final, this may very well give Pirates every reason to want to bag this one and reclaim their top spot in the domestic competition. This is certainly going to be one of the most competitive finals in the history of PSL and one of the best the Mbombela Stadium is likely to see.

To win sms “telkom” with your name and number to 35954. Closing date is December 4, 12:00 and SMSes cost R1,50. Terms and conditions apply.