JOHANNESBURG (CONVERSEER) – Orlando Pirates finally ended a long wait for league‑cup glory when they edged Marumo Gallants 1–0 after extra time to lift the 2025 Carling Knockout Cup at the New Peter Mokaba Stadium on Saturday night.
The match was goalless after 90 minutes, a tense, tightly contested final, with Gallants defending deep and Pirates pushing forward without finding the breakthrough.
The deadlock was finally broken inside extra time when 20‑year-old Relebohile Mofokeng poked home the decisive goal in the 105th minute, following a scramble in the box that saw the ball slip past goalkeeper Washington Arubi and his defenders.
The victory marks Pirates’ second trophy of the season, they had already claimed the MTN8 Cup in September and ends their more than decade‑long wait for the Carling Knockout crown, their first since 2011.
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It also gives their coach Abdeslam Ouaddou a major early success, underlining the club’s dominance in domestic cup competitions.
For Marumo Gallants known in PSL circles as “giant‑slayers” the defeat will sting. They held firm for 90 minutes and showed resilience deep into extra time, but ultimately could not prevent Pirates from sealing the deal.
With the Cup now theirs, attention for Pirates shifts to maintaining their momentum in the league and chasing further silverware.
