South Africa’s football giants Kaizer Chiefs, Orlando Pirates and Mamelodi Sundowns have booked their places in the Carling Knockout Cup quarter-finals after overcoming their respective opponents in Tuesday’s last-16 matches.
Orlando Pirates and Kaizer Chiefs were the biggest winners of the evening, recording convincing 3-0 victories over Milford FC and TS Galaxy respectively, while Mamelodi Sundowns had to dig deep before edging last season’s runners-up, Marumo Gallants, 1-0.
The victories keep the country’s three heavyweight clubs in contention for the lucrative knockout trophy, setting the stage for an exciting battle as the competition enters its quarter-final phase.
PIRATES SINK MILFORD WITH MOREMI BRACE
Orlando Pirates continued their pursuit of Carling Knockout glory with a convincing 3-0 victory over Milford FC at Orlando Amstel Arena.
The Buccaneers wasted little time in stamping their authority on the encounter, with Mokobodi opening the scoring in the 14th minute to give the Soweto giants an early advantage.
Pirates maintained their attacking momentum, and Tshepang Moremi doubled their lead in the 34th minute to put the hosts firmly in control before the interval.
Moremi was back on the scoresheet shortly after the restart, completing his brace in the 47th minute to seal a comfortable victory for the Buccaneers.
The emphatic result secured Pirates’ passage into the quarter-finals and strengthened their hopes of going all the way in the competition.
Milford, meanwhile, struggled to contain the Soweto giants and bowed out of the tournament following a difficult evening against one of South Africa’s leading clubs.
Pirates will now turn their attention to the quarter-finals as they continue their quest for another domestic trophy.
DUBA HAT-TRICK INSPIRES CHIEFS TO VICTORY
Kaizer Chiefs delivered an emphatic performance at FNB Stadium, defeating TS Galaxy 3-0 to secure their place in the Carling Knockout Cup quarter-finals.
Amakhosi entered the encounter determined to progress in a competition that offers them another opportunity to challenge for major silverware.
After a goalless first half, Wandile Duba broke the deadlock in the 48th minute, giving Chiefs the breakthrough they needed to take control of the contest.
Duba continued to torment the TS Galaxy defence and doubled his tally in the 66th minute, putting the hosts in a commanding position.
The Chiefs forward completed his hat-trick in the 81st minute, capping an outstanding individual performance and sealing a comprehensive victory for the Soweto giants.
Duba’s three goals ensured that Chiefs advanced to the last eight in style, giving their supporters plenty of reason to celebrate.
For TS Galaxy, the defeat brought their Carling Knockout campaign to an end, leaving them to concentrate on their remaining domestic commitments.
Chiefs will now await the quarter-final draw, encouraged by a performance that could provide a significant boost to their confidence.
NDLOVU FIRES SUNDOWNS INTO QUARTER-FINALS
Mamelodi Sundowns had a tougher assignment against Marumo Gallants but eventually secured a narrow 1-0 victory to book their place in the quarter-finals.
The encounter carried added significance for the Brazilians, who were facing the side that finished as last season’s Carling Knockout runners-up.
Gallants entered the match hoping to reproduce the kind of cup performance that took them to last season’s final, while Sundowns were determined to avoid an early exit from the competition.
The Tshwane giants eventually found the breakthrough through Siyanda Ndlovu, whose goal proved decisive in a closely contested encounter.
Although Sundowns could not match the convincing scorelines recorded by Pirates and Chiefs, their victory was enough to secure progression to the last eight.
For Gallants, the narrow defeat ended their hopes of reaching another Carling Knockout final, while Sundowns remain firmly in the hunt for another trophy.
The Brazilians will now look to build on this hard-fought victory as they prepare for the next stage of the competition.
BIG THREE KEEP CUP DREAMS ALIVE
The victories by Pirates, Chiefs and Sundowns add further excitement to the Carling Knockout Cup quarter-finals, with three of the country’s biggest clubs still in contention for the title.
Pirates demonstrated their attacking strength through Moremi’s brace, Chiefs produced the standout individual performance of the evening through Duba’s hat-trick, while Sundowns showed their ability to grind out a result when the pressure was on.
With the competition moving into the last eight, the three giants will be eager to maintain their momentum and take another step towards lifting the trophy.
For their rivals, the challenge will be to stop the country’s established heavyweights from turning their quarter-final qualification into another successful cup campaign.
The winner of the 2026 Carling Knockout Cup will receive R6.85 million in prize money with the runners-up getting the R2.85 million while
losing semi-finalists (each)
R1.35 million
Quarter-finalists
R850,000 each
Teams eliminated in the last 16
R550,000 each
Additionally, the Man of the Match in each game receives R100,000, based on a fan vote.