Orlando Pirates head into their Carling Knockout quarter-final against Sekhukhune United on Saturday with a strong record against the Limpopo side, although they will be wary of some notable defeats in the past.
The teams have met on 15 previous occasions, with Pirates winning nine times, Sekhukhune claiming four victories and just two games ending in draws.
They have already met three times this season, in the two-legged MTN8 semi-finals and the league, all in the space of eight days in August, with the Buccaneers winning all three encounters.
Pirates have scored 21 goals in their 15 meetings, including six this season, more than double Sekhukhune’s tally of 10.
Overall, there have been 31 goals in the 15 games, an average of 2.07 per match.
When it comes to knockout football, Pirates have been dominant. They have won all four previous cup matches against Sekhukhune, scoring 11 goals and conceding just one.
They have also kept clean sheets in their last three cup encounters.
Pirates’ biggest victory in the rivalry was a 5-0 thrashing in the 2023/24 MTN8 quarter-finals, when Zakhele Lepasa scored a hat-trick.
In league football, however, the rivalry has been much closer. Pirates have a narrow 5-4 advantage in victories from their 11 meetings, with two draws.
Sekhukhune have also enjoyed some success in Orlando, winning successive league visits to Pirates by 1-0 scorelines in 2024/25 and 2025/26.
Lepasa is the leading scorer in the fixture with three goals, all scored in that emphatic MTN8 victory in 2023/24.
Terrence Dzvukamanja and Deon Hotto have netted twice each for Pirates, while Sekhukhune’s leading scorers are Linda Mntambo and Vusimuzi Mncube also with two goals apiece.
Remarkably, 17 different players have contributed to Pirates’ 21 goals in the fixture.