PIC: Wandile Duba equalises for Kaizer Chiefs against Mamelodi Sundowns

Orlando Pirates and Kaizer Chiefs have won through to the final of the 2025 Nedbank Cup to set up a Soweto Derby meeting at the Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban on May 10.
Pirates edged Marumo Gallants 1-0 in their last-4 clash, while Chiefs came from behind to beat Mamelodi Sundowns 2-1 to book a first final since 2019.

We round up the numbers on the semifinal clashes. 

1 – This year will be the first time that Chiefs and Pirates meet in the Nedbank Cup final, but they have clashed in the decider of South Africa’s FA Cup competition eight times before over the last 54 years. Chiefs have been victorious in six of those finals to Pirates’ two.

1 – Chiefs’ 20-year-old forward Wandile Duba scored his first ever Nedbank Cup goal when he equalised for his side against Sundowns. In fact, it was his maiden goal in any cup competition.

3 – Pirates have made the final for the third season in a row, a record in the Nedbank Cup. They beat Sekhukhune United (2023) and Sundowns (2024) in the previous two finals. 

3 – Pirates’ winner against Marumo Gallants was scored by Kabelo Dlamini, who joins former teammate Kermit Erasmus at the top of the list of highest scorers in Nedbank Cup semifinals. They both now have three in the last-4 of the competition. Dlamini scored twice in a 3-1 win over Chippa United in last year’s semifinals. 

4 – Ashley du Preez’s winner for Chiefs would have been a sweet moment for a number of reasons. He has four goals in the Nedbank Cup, and his first was for Stellenbosch FC in 2021 when they lost 3-2 after extra-time against Sundowns. Du Preez had given his side the lead that day.

5 – Gallants goalkeeper Washington Arubi was by far the busier of the glovemen in the semifinals, having to make five saves against Pirates. That was the most of any of the four keepers.

7 – Pirates kept up their remarkable record of Nedbank Cup semifinal victories and have now won all seven they have competed in since 2008. Once they get to the last-4, they are unbeatable.

13 – Chiefs’ 2-1 victory over Sundowns was their first in 13 meetings against the Tshwane side. Their previous win was by the same scoreline in 2021, when they also came from a goal down to claim victory.

11 – Patrick Maswanganyi has been a star for Pirates in the Nedbank Cup over the last two seasons. His assist for Dlamini’s winner against Gallants was his third this season, to go with two goals he has scored himself. In fact, in nine appearances (eight starts), he has 11 goal contributions in the competition, having scored six times himself to go with five assists. 

14 – Pirates coach Jose Riveiro took his unbeaten run in the Nedbank Cup to 14 (W12 D2). Should he avoid defeat in the final against Chiefs he will leave South African football unbeaten in three seasons of the competition as he aims for a third successive title. 

20 – Both Chiefs and Pirates will be appearing in their 20^th final in South Africa’s FA Cup since the competition was first played in 1971. Chiefs have 13 title wins to Pirates’ 10.

85 – The total number of goals scored in the Nedbank Cup this season from 29 games, an average of 2.93 per game.