Orlando Pirates assistant coach Mandla Ncikazi has played down talk of his team being favourites ahead of Saturday’s high-stakes Nedbank Cup final against Kaizer Chiefs.
The two most glamourous clubs in Soweto are set to battle it out for the prestigious trophy at a sold-out Moses Mabhida Stadium (3:30 PM).
It promises to be a thrilling encounter. Whiles Pirates eye a third straight Nedbank Cup title, their sworn rivals Kaizer Chiefs chase their first major trophy since 2015.
Speaking ahead of the game, Ncikazi rejected favourite tags, citing his rival’s historical success and fresher legs as major factors.
“We Are Not Favourites”
Despite Pirates’ 2-1 league win over Chiefs just days ago—marking a potential sixth straight derby win—Ncikazi rejected the notion of superiority in Wednesday’s pre-match press conference.
“Please allow me to make a small correction — we are not favourites! Being a favourite is subjective,” he said.
“We’ve won it 10 times; they’ve won it 13 times. That tells you something about Kaizer Chiefs’ pedigree in this competition.”
