Three things to look out for in the Carling Knockout Last 16

The Carling Black Label Knockout continues this weekend, with Mamelodi Sundowns already out of the competition, a depleted side, by Sundowns standards anyway, beaten on penalties by TS Galaxy on Wednesday.

Will there be more surprises over the weekend? None would be bigger than Cape Town Spurs winning at Orlando Pirates in Friday evening’s last 16 showdown. Here, we take a look at three things to look out for from the weekend’s action.

Pirates losing to Spurs would be even more shocking than Sundowns losing to Galaxy

Orlando Pirates have taken over the cup competitions since Jose Riveiro took charge, winning last season’s MTN8 and Nedbank Cup, and then repeating the trick this season in the MTN8.

This is the first Carling Black Label Knockout Cup, and another chance for the Buccaneers to grab some silverware. On paper, it doesn’t get easier in an all DStv Premiership knockout competition than a home game against a side that have lost eight out of eight in the league so far, and that has already sacked head coach Shaun Bartlett, replacing him with former technical director Sean Connor.

Pirates may be without an injured Zakhele Lepasa, but it would be a huge upset if they don’t reach the quarterfinals.

Chiefs will hope to repeat the trick against Usuthu

Kaizer Chiefs got their most impressive win over the season so far on August 26, when they thumped AmaZulu 3-0 in the DStv Premiership, Pule Mmodi’s double helping ease some of the pressure, at the time, on Molefi Ntseki.

Chiefs’ results have continued to be inconsistent since then, however, and coming off the back of a 1-0 defeat at home to Cape Town City, Amakhosi need another nerve-settling win on Saturday at FNB Stadium. The eight year trophy drought (and counting) is an embarrassment to Amakhosi, and the Carling Knockout Cup represents another chance to remedy that situation.

Usuthu, however, will be determined to make amends for what happened at the end of August, and are likely to run Chiefs far closer this time around.

SuperSport United play another actual home game

Gavin Hunt’s SuperSport United have had a fine start to the campaign, and deserve even more credit when you consider they have had to play most of their ‘home’ games at the Peter Mokaba Stadium in Polokwane.

On Sunday, they take on a side that are actually supposed to play home games in Polokwane, Polokwane City, in the last 16 of the Nedbank Cup, and the SuperSport head coach must be relieved that they are playing at TUT Stadium.

Though let’s be honest, it would have been completely absurd if the game had been at the Peter Mokaba Stadium.

Matsantsantsa will be favourites to take down Rise and Shine, though City are in decent form, unbeaten in their last four league games without conceding a goal.

As much as SuperSport haven’t liked the travelling to Limpopo, they have won three home games in Polokwane, though they also won the one other they played at TUT, 1-0 at home to Cape Town City.