Orlando Pirates crash out of Carling Knockout Cup with shock defeat to Magesi

Entering the match as heavy favorites, Pirates carried the weight of being the reigning "Cup Kings," having secured five domestic titles under coach Jose Riveiro. Their confidence was bolstered by a 3-1 victory over Stellenbosch in the MTN8 final just before the international break.

However, Magesi, making their debut in top-flight domestic cups under head coach Clinton Larsen, turned the match on its head in a stunning upset. For the first 25 minutes, the visitors struggled to gain possession, yet they found the breakthrough when Delano Abrahams headed home from close range in the 32nd minute.

Things took a turn for the worse for Pirates just five minutes later when Thabiso Sesane inadvertently deflected the ball into his own net, doubling Magesi's lead. As Pirates scrambled to recover, disaster struck again just before halftime when they conceded a penalty. Although Sipho Chaine saved Edmore Chirambadare's initial attempt, Chirambadare pounced on the rebound, extending Magesi's lead to 3-0 at the break.

In response, Riveiro made significant changes at halftime, bringing on Mohau Nkota for Monnapule Saleng and substituting Evidence Makgopa and Patrick Maswanganyi for Selaelo Rasebotja and Karim Kimvuidi. Despite their aggressive pursuit of goals, Pirates struggled to find the net, with Tshegofatso Mabasa hitting the crossbar from close range.

Finally, with just five minutes remaining, Kabelo Dlamini scored, igniting hopes among the home fans. The atmosphere intensified even more when Makgopa added a second goal for Pirates just two minutes before full-time. However, it was too late for a full comeback, as Magesi held firm to secure a historic victory in Soweto.

Magesi's win propels them into the quarter-finals, joining Stellenbosch, who advanced after defeating AmaZulu 2-1 in extra time at the King Zwelithini Stadium on Friday. 

READ MORE: Carling Knockout Cup: Stellenbosch send Amazulu packing