Bucs, Wits set for epic battle
Nedbank Cup finals will take place between Wits and Pirates.
Orlando Pirates and Bidvest Wits will battle for the Nedbank Cup trophy when they meet in the epic final of this years battle.
The final takes place on Saturday May 17 at the Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban. The kick-off is at 15:00.
This match pits the 2011 Nedbank Cup champions, Pirates, against the 2010 winners, Wits, with one of the teams set to become the first to win the tournament twice in the Nedbank era (2008 onwards).
The Soweto side earned their place in the final with four successive away victories over Thanda Royal Zulu (3-1 on penalties after a 3-3 draw), Santos (2-0), newly-crowned league champions Mamelodi Sundowns (2-1) and Maritzburg United (2-1).
“The team did exceptionally well and we are ready for Pirates,” said Bidvest Wits goalkeeper Moneeb Josephs ahead of the clash with his old club, Pirates.
As for the Clever Boys, they did away with minnows AmaBEE (2-0), before eliminating three successive PSL sides: AmaZulu (4-1 away), Bloemfontein Celtic (2-1 away) and, most impressively, outgoing Nedbank Cup champions Kaizer Chiefs (4-2 on penalties after a 2-2 home draw).
Pirates and Wits have not been regular combatants in cup competitions down the years, meeting in only ten previous knockout ties since the start of the NSL era in 1985. It is the University-based team who have held the edge in cup matches, claiming four outright wins (and one on penalties) compared to three for Bucs.
The teams’ most recent cup meeting, however, went the way of Pirates, who claimed a 3-1 win in the final of the 2011 Telkom Knockout, a match which was also staged at the Moses Mabhida Stadium. Bucs scored their goals through Thulasizwe Mbuyane, Daine Klate and Isaac Chansa, while the Clever Boys’ goal was netted by Sifiso Myeni, who is now an Orlando Pirates player.
In all, the teams have clashed in 67 league and cup matches since 1985. Bucs have 27 wins under their belt compared to 16 for Wits, while 24 matches have been drawn. The Soweto side has outscored their Johannesburg counterparts 75 goals to 58 in that sequence.
In the teams’ two league clashes this season, Pirates were able to take four points off Wits. The first match back in February saw the Buccaneers claim a 2-1 home win, thanks to goals from Helder Pelembe and Kermit Erasmus. The return match at Bidvest Stadium in late April ended in a goalless stalemate.
