Carling Knockout quarter-final: Kaizer Chiefs land nightmare draw

Published on by Joel Oliver

Kaizer Chiefs and Mamelodi Sundowns will face off yet again after they were paired in the Carling Knockout quarter-final draw.

Chiefs paid the price for their poor season in 2023-24 as they were not seeded, making the possibility of landing Sundowns a reality when the draw was conducted on Sunday evening.

The two teams had a fiery matchup in late September, which Sundowns won 2-1, but it was marred by complaints of poor officiating from Amakhosi supporters.

Chiefs & Sundowns won big in the Round of 16

The Carling Knockout quarter-final match will therefore rekindle those memories with Chiefs keen to get their revenge but they face a major test against the Brazilians.

Both teams made a statement of intent in the Round of 16 where Chiefs thrashed SuperSport United 4-0 while Sundowns hammered Golden Arrows 5-0.

With Pirates knocked out by Magesi FC, fans would perhaps have hoped for a Chiefs-Sundowns final but they will have to content with watching the glamour tie at the quarter-final.

Will the quarter-final timing favour Amakhosi?

While the dates for the quarter-final are yet to be confirmed, the match will likely take place after the next international break in November, which favours Chiefs somewhat, as they do not have many players going out on international duty.

Sundowns meanwhile have close to 10 players who get called to the Bafana Bafana squad, with nine of them involved in the recent matches against Congo, which will be a major headache for coach Manqoba Mngqithi who would want to have all his big hitters fresh and ready for the big clash.

The other quarter-final matchups will see TS Galaxy take on Pirates’ conquerors Magesi FC, Richards Bay face Cape Town City as Marumo Gallants host defending champions Stellenbosch FC.

Avatar photo

Joel Oliver

Joel Oliver is a seasoned multimedia sports journalist with a rich background in covering diverse football stories and events in South Africa and beyond.
His extensive coverage spans subjects touching on the PSL, with a focus on the Big Three (Orlando Pirates, Kaizer Chiefs & Mamelodi Sundowns), Bafana Bafana and Banyana Banyana.