Good injury news for Orlando Pirates ahead of Magesi Carling Knockout game

Orlando Pirates do not have new injury concerns ahead of their Carling Knockout quarterfinal match against last season winners Magesi FC. At the same time, players such as midfielder Selaelo Rasebotja and defender Thabiso Sesane are approaching full fitness following their injury layoffs, the club said in a preview on Monday (27 October). The Buccaneers are out for revenge against Magesi, who knocked them out of the competition in the first round last season. The match will be played at Orlando Stadium on Tuesday, 28 October, with the kick-off slated for 19:00. "There are no fresh injury concerns despite a highly physical clash on Saturday [against Saint-Éloi Lupopo], while the likes of Selaelo Rasebotja and Thabiso Sesane continue to work their way back to full fitness after their injury spells," the club said. Encouragingly, Pirates shared a picture on Facebook of 2024/25 Betway Premiership midfielder of the season Makhehlene Makhaula training, sparking hope among fans that his comeback is imminent. The 35-year-old midfield powerhouse last played in May in a 3-0 win against Golden Arrows. Last week, Bucs head coach Abdeslam Ouaddou said Makhaula had returned to training but experienced some pain, prompting them to give him more time to recover. The Soweto giants last won the Carling Knockout in 2011 when it was known as Telkom Knockout. They will aim for a cup double, having already won this season's MTN8. Assistant coach Mandla Ncikazi told the club's media team that Magesi is a different team from last season. "It's the same name but so many things have changed since then," he said. "They have changed the coaching and the players, so we wouldn't want to use the history. We want to use their performances, setup, weaknesses, strengths, and see where we can exploit and win the match and go to the semifinals of this cup." Magesi head coach John Maduka says the match will be tough but believes the pressure is on Pirates because everyone expects them to win. "They have played [10] games and won them all. The pressure is on them and because of that, maybe this is the game where it will be easy for us to do well," he told SuperSport. Head-to-head, the two clubs have played three games, with each winning one and the latest clash a draw. Below are the TV and streaming platforms where fans can watch the game live: Tickets are available via Open Tickets.