Modise hopes Pirates’ Maswanganyi can shine in Nedbank Cup final

Former Orlando Pirates and Mamelodi Sundowns star Teko Modise says the Nedbank Cup final provides an opportunity for Buccaneers young talent Patrick ‘Tito’ Maswanganyi to show what he is made of.

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The Buccaneers and Masandawana will meet at Mbombela Stadium on Saturday in the final match of the 2023/24 campaign, that sees the teams that finished first and second in the DStv Premiership go head to head for the last piece of silverware on offer.

Sundowns won the league at a canter, but it is Pirates who have proved cup kings under Jose Riveiro, winning the last two MTN8 titles, as well as last season’s Nedbank Cup. In this season’s MTN8 final, it was Pirates who triumphed over Sundowns, on penalties following a goalless draw.

Breakout season

Maswanganyi, who was named in Hugo Broos’ Bafana squad on Thursday for next month’s Fifa World Cup qualifiers against Nigeria and Zimbabwe, has had a breakout season with Pirates and would no doubt love to finish it with another winners’ medal.

“It’s a chance for the likes of ‘Tito’ and (Makhehleni) Makhaula to show how good they are on and off the ball,” said Modise.

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“As footballers it is about how they make decisions on the pitch and execute what the coach has planned. We know these teams have worked to be in the final and we wanted to see these teams in the final. When I was a footballer these were the games you wanted to play, to go into the off-season with a trophy.”