Rare Orlando Pirates starter Kabelo Dlamini and Kaizer Chiefs substitute Ashley du Preez on Sunday scored their first South African FA Cup goals this season to secure their sides’ places in the final.
Dlamini struck midway through the first half to give title-holders Pirates a 1-0 semi-finals victory over Marumo Gallants in Soweto.
Later, Du Preez scored from close range on 89 minutes as Chiefs came from behind to pip Mamelodi Sundowns 2-1 in Pretoria. Teboho Mokoena had broken the deadlock before Wandile Duba equalised.
It will be a dream climax to the cup with the most popular clubs in South Africa certain to attract a sell-out 60,000 crowd to Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban on May 10.
Chiefs pipped Pirates on penalties when they last met in an FA Cup final, 19 years ago, also in the Indian Ocean port city.
Success was special for Chiefs as they not only kept alive hopes of winning a first trophy since 2015, but also qualified for the 2025-2026 CAF Confederation Cup.
“I knew Sundowns would tire,” said Tunisia-born Chiefs coach Nasreddine Nabi, referring to their opponents having played a CAF Champions League quarter-final in Tunis five days ago.
“We had to win after three defeats by Sundowns in league and knockout matches this season. Our supporters have been suffering for too long.”
Chiefs have won a record 53 domestic competitions since being formed in 1970, but last triumphed when they topped the 2014-2015 championship table.
Sundowns Portuguese coach Miguel Cardoso, who has taken the club to the CAF Champions League semi-finals, said they were the authors of their own downfall against Chiefs.
“We made an early second-half mistake that brought alive a team that was dead. However, we blame no individual. We win as a team and we lose as a team.”
Duba intercepted a careless pass by Argentinian Lucas Suarez and fired past Ronwen Williams for a 57th-minute leveller. Mokoena netted direct from a free-kick in first-half added time.
In the other semi, Pirates’ Dlamini completed a slick four-pass move by steering the ball into the corner of the net past Zimbabwe goalkeeper Washington Arubi on 22 minutes.
“I call Kabelo the ‘invisible man’. Supporters hardly notice him, but he does tremendous work in midfield,” said Pirates coach Jose Riveiro.
The Spaniard is chasing a third straight FA Cup title and a sixth triumph in a South African knockout competition in his third season with the Buccaneers.
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