It was a weekend of fine margins, tight jaws and big hearts in the Carling Knockout Cup 2025, as Stellenbosch FC dumped Kaizer Chiefs out on penalties in Cape Town, Orlando Pirates edged Siwelele FC with a late thunderbolt in Soweto, and Marumo Gallants stunned Mamelodi Sundowns in a shootout in Tshwane. The quarterfinal draw then tossed fresh intrigue into the mix, pairing Pirates with holders Magesi and sending Stellies on the road to meet the giant slayers from Limpopo.
Stellenbosch upend Chiefs in a test of nerve
In a gritty, goalless affair after 120 minutes at the Cape Town Stadium, Stellenbosch outlasted Kaizer Chiefs 5-4 on penalties, a result that underscored their composure and resolve under pressure. Chiefs had crafted the first big scare when Khanyisa Mayo rattled the upright midway through the first half, yet the chances that followed for Amakhosi never translated into a breakthrough.
The structure of the game was a tug of war, with Stellenbosch holding more of the ball for long spells and Chiefs pinching the more incisive looks. Jody Lilepo’s effort forced a sharp parry from Oscarine Masuluke late in the opening stanza, while Pule Mmodi’s close range header after the restart hinted at momentum that would not quite materialise.
What swung the narrative was a late twist and then a deeper one. Stellies were reduced to 10 men in extra time when Thapelo Mokobodi received his marching orders for a second bookable offence, a moment that seemed to tilt the contest. Yet Steve Barker’s side refused to blink, closing ranks and pushing the contest to its final reckoning.
The decisive figure was the bearded goalkeeper who did not even start the match. Introduced after Masuluke could not continue, Sage Stephens turned the shootout into a personal showcase, saving from Tashreeq Morris and Dillan Solomons to put Stellenbosch on the brink. The hosts had initially wobbled when Andre De Jong missed the first kick, but their belief did not waver.
The final act belonged to a winger with ice in his veins. Up stepped Sanele Barnes, and with a clean strike he sealed the 5-4 triumph from the spot to send Stellies into the last eight. It was the kind of moment that echoes in dressing rooms and training pitches, the payoff for a group that trusted each other even after going a man down.
Credit must also go to the approach that contained a retooled Chiefs lineup. Co coaches Cedric Kaze and Khalil Ben Youssef handed a rare start to Fiacre Ntwari, with Brandon Petersen watching from the stands, and the Rwandan goalkeeper stood up to the task through regulation time. For all the defensive assurance Chiefs showed, the small details of the shootout, two wayward kicks and one inspired keeper, wrote the final line.
Mbokazi magic lifts Pirates at Orlando Stadium
In Soweto, the Orlando Stadium held its breath until the 87th minute. Then captain Mbekezeli Mbokazi strode from midfield, drove forward with intent and ripped a long range strike beyond Samukelo Xulu to beat Siwelele FC 1-0 in the last 16. It was a flash of individual bravery that decided an attritional contest that had ebbed and flowed without delivering a finish.
The Buccaneers had the perfect early chance to settle, awarded a penalty in the third minute after Evidence Makgopa was felled. Makgopa picked himself up but struck the upright, a let off that emboldened the visitors and set a nervy tone. Chances came and went, with Tshepang Moremi firing wide from close range for Pirates and Christian Saile testing Sipho Chaine just before the interval.
Coach Abdeslam Ouaddou made a single change from the midweek league win, starting Oswin Appollis and keeping Kamogelo Sebelebele in reserve, then he turned to his bench at halftime to introduce Abdoulaye Mariko for Sihle Nduli. Opposite number Lehlohonolo Seema responded by calling on Vincent Pule and Chibuike Ohizu, but clear sights at goal remained scarce as the second half wore on.
When the breakthrough finally arrived, it felt like a release. Mbokazi, who had already put in a leader’s shift without the ball, pounced on a loose pass near the halfway line, surged into space and unleashed the winner that brought Ouaddou sprinting off the bench in celebration. It was the strike that booked Pirates’ place in the quarterfinals and it carried a captain’s signature.
“What a brilliant goal from Mbokazi. To be honest, I think he deserved the Man of the Match more today, because he was fighting and defending,” said Oswin Appollis. “No, I will definitely have to cut because what a goal. I will definitely share with him.”
That gesture, a willingness to split his R100 000 Man of the Match prize, spoke volumes about the unity that has started to define this Pirates side. It also framed the night in human terms, a teammate recognising that while the spotlight had fallen on him, the decisive glow belonged to the captain.
Gallants shock Sundowns in a shootout of steel
Up in Tshwane, the script ripped itself apart. On a bumpy Lucas Moripe surface that frustrated both teams, Marumo Gallants held Mamelodi Sundowns to 0-0 after extra time, then prevailed 7-6 in a shootout that will echo through their season. The balance tilted further their way in sudden death when a veteran goalkeeper refused to blink.
Washington Arubi produced a masterclass under the most exacting pressure, saving penalties from Marcelo Allende, Fawaaz Basadien and Mosa Lebusa, then stepping up to bury the decisive kick himself. It was a complete performance from a leader at the back, the kind that becomes a foundation for belief in a locker room that dared to dream.
Sundowns had their moments, particularly after the break when Khuliso Mudau and Arthur Sales fired narrowly off target in quick succession. Miguel Cardoso resisted changes at halftime despite early bookings for Bathusi Aubaas and Nuno Santos, then introduced Teboho Mokoena on the hour to push for a winner. Mokoena came closest in open play, a header off the crossbar that summed up the champions’ frustration.
The late cameo for new signing Miguel Reisinho took a cruel turn. Brought on for Sales with 10 minutes to play, the Portuguese midfielder received a straight red card just six minutes later for a reckless challenge on Siyabonga Nhlapho. Even with the man advantage, Gallants kept their shape, absorbed pressure and trusted the shootout that would ultimately belong to their goalkeeper.
Quarterfinal picture comes into focus
The draw that followed on Sunday provided rich storylines. Orlando Pirates were paired with the defending champions Magesi, who had beaten AmaZulu 3-2 at the Moses Mabhida Stadium to book their spot. It is a tie steeped in recent pedigree for the holders and sharpened by Pirates’ surging confidence after a clean sheet and a captain’s winner.
Stellenbosch will travel to meet Marumo Gallants, a matchup that pits the weekend’s penalty kings against the tournament’s shock merchants. Golden Arrows, fresh from a 3-1 victory over Sekhukhune United, will host TS Galaxy in a meeting of sides that have shown a knack for control in big moments. Completing the bracket is a KwaZulu Natal derby between Richards Bay FC and Durban City, the latter having outlasted Polokwane City 4-1 after extra time on Friday.
Dates, venues and kickoff times will be confirmed by the Premier League in due course, a reminder that the tournament is building toward a crescendo with contenders and disruptors all still in the frame. The quarterfinals promise fresh tension, the kind that has already defined this edition.
What the results tell us
First, the margins in knockout football are as slim as ever. Stellenbosch were a missed early kick from slipping behind in the shootout, then found poise through saves and a clinching hit, proof that cool heads can steady a rocky start. Chiefs, meanwhile, will reflect on a night of almosts, from Mayo striking the upright to Mmodi’s blocked header.
Second, a single moment can decide a season’s fork in the road. Pirates did not blink after the early penalty miss and kept plugging away until Mbokazi found the top drawer. The response from Ouaddou, sprinting from his technical area to embrace his players, captured the release of a group that believes in its method and each other.
Third, composure is a currency in the pressure cooker. Gallants chose to sit deep, absorb, and trust their structure, then delivered in the most brutal arena of all, the penalty mark. With Arubi as the anchor, they turned a night of limited chances into a launchpad for a famous triumph.
Standout performers
Sage Stephens, summoned on the hour after Masuluke’s collision with Mayo, authored the evening in Cape Town with two shootout saves and an aura of calm. In a knockout format that rewards courage, Stephens showed how a substitute can become a protagonist in minutes.
For Pirates, the captain’s strike will headline the match reports, but there was more between the lines. Appollis, who started ahead of Sebelebele and later promised to share his award, embodied the selfless edge that coaches crave. His gesture toward Mbokazi supported the story of a squad building its identity on and off the ball.
Arubi’s night belonged to the folklore of cup football. Three saves, a winning kick, and the serenity to carry his team into the last eight, it was a complete package from a veteran who understands the rhythms of pressure. For Gallants, Arubi became both shield and spear.
Numbers that tell the story
Stellenbosch 0, Chiefs 0, after extra time, then a 5-4 win on penalties that turned on two saves and one decisive finish. Those digits capture the control Stellies wrestled back after going down to 10 men, the essence of survival football in a cup tie.
Pirates 1, Siwelele 0, defined by a third minute penalty that hit the upright and an 87th minute strike that did not. The swing from the post to the net framed the narrative and highlighted the resilience that kept the Buccaneers calm until the chance came.
Gallants 0, Sundowns 0, with a 7-6 shootout that hinged on the crossbar, a red card twist, and a goalkeeper’s nerve. It is the number line of a giant killing that did not need a goal in open play to feel seismic for Bahlabane ba Ntwa.
Looking ahead
The quarterfinals will bring fresh tension and stylistic contrasts. Pirates against Magesi pits big stage experience against the nous of recent champions, a measuring stick for how far Ouaddou’s group has come. Stellenbosch at Gallants sets up a battle of belief systems, the possessional patience of Stellies against the compact counterpunchers who just silenced Sundowns.
Arrows and Galaxy meet as teams with clear identities, one flowing through quick transitions, the other structured and efficient, a tightrope where the first goal usually bends the arc. In KwaZulu Natal, Richards Bay and Durban City will chase supremacy that carries both bragging rights and a place among the final four, a prize that can redefine a season’s ambitions.
This weekend reminded us that cups reward nerve, detail and togetherness. From Barnes rolling home a winner from twelve yards, to Mbokazi rifling in from range, to Arubi’s hands and heartbeat in a shootout, the Carling Knockout has already delivered a gallery of moments. The last eight now stand ready to add more brushstrokes to a tournament painting that is still drying, and still thrilling.
