Pirates and AmaZulu in MTN8 final showdown

AmaZulu will be seeking their first major trophy in 30 years when they battle it out with Orlando Pirates in the MTN8 final at the Moses Mabhida Stadium on Saturday evening.

Kick-off is at 6pm CAT (SA, GMT+2) - Live on SuperSport PSL (channel 202), build-up starts at 5pm.

Usuthu's last piece of silverware came in 1992 when they beat Kaizer Chiefs 3-1 in the Coca-Cola Cup final, a previous iteration of the Telkom Knockout.

Romain Folz has made an unbeaten start to his tenure in Durban and guided his team past Amakhosi in the semifinals, courtesy of a goalless draw in the second leg at the same venue on 23 October.

Much of the hard work had been done in the first leg, which finished 1-1 at the FNB Stadium under the guidance of Brandon Truter, who was sacked in the wake of the 1-0 league defeat to Richards Bay on 5 October.

Folz, who is the youngest coach in the top flight at the age of 32, could write his name into the club's colourful history by ending their decades-long trophy drought this weekend.

The French-Moroccan tactician believes playing on home soil will give his players an added advantage despite the Buccaneers being listed as the home team.

"The first thing is that we don't have to travel which is an important point for us in terms of preparation and logistics when we try to keep the mind and the body fresh, so that's already one factor," Folz said.

"It's Pirates' home game in theory but we are playing in our city and our stadium. As I always say, whether you're home or away, the more support you have from the fans the better it will be for your team.

"We know that we're playing for so many people therefore being at home will give that little boost and edge because we are already motivated, so we're very happy we're playing in our stadium."

Pirates have improved after a poor run of results at the start of October, although they come into the cup tie on the back of a 1-0 defeat to arch-rivals Chiefs last Saturday.

The Sea Robbers went into the Soweto derby on a high, having eliminated defending champions Mamelodi Sundowns with a 3-0 win in their semifinal, second-leg clash at the Peter Mokaba Stadium.

Bucs have won the top-eight competition 10 times and contested the final as recently as 2020 when they defeated Bloemfontein Celtic 2-1 to close within five of Chiefs' record 15 triumphs.

Jose Riveiro's side are seen as favourites but the Spanish coach doesn't view it as such, insisting both clubs will be on a level playing field in what will be a packed stadium.

"I can't imagine one team going into the final saying 'it's okay to be here, the result doesn't matter'," Riveiro said.

"No, everyone has the same thing to lose - the title. It's 90 minutes, 11 against 11. So don't tell me about favourites and a hungrier team.

"That's not true. If someone feels something like that, it's probably because they don't know what a football player thinks about in a game like this."

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Orlando Pirates

Monnapule Saleng: The 24-year-old winger has made quite the impact since returning from his season-long loan at Swallows. He almost single-handedly dumped Sundowns out of the MTN 8 with a match-winning brace, having scored his first two goals for Pirates four days earlier in a 2-0 win over Golden Arrows.

Kermit Erasmus: The 32-year-old striker will be pushing for his fourth consecutive start after hitting the ground running on his return to Mayfair last month. Erasmus is slowly getting back to his best, having impressed in the league before getting off the mark for Pirates with the opener against the Brazilians in the semifinal second leg.

AmaZulu

Abbubaker Mobara: The 28-year-old defender was a rock for Usuthu at the back against Stellenbosch, helping them keep a clean sheet to hand Folz his first win. Mobara can expect another stern test against his former employers, having faced them as recently as a fortnight ago in the league when the two teams played out to a 1-1 draw.

Larry Bwalya: The 27-year-old Zambian midfielder is beginning to find his feet in South Africa after making the switch from Tanzanian giants Simba in July. Bwalya produced an impressive display against the Maroons on Sunday and opened his account with a long-range cracker to secure Folz's maiden win in South African football.